Hermione was stunned at the accusation from Dumbledore."So you think Malfoy let in more Death Eaters?"
"I'm not certain that Mr. Malfoy is the mole, but it's a possibility given his history. That's why I wanted you to watch him closely," Dumbledore answered. "All I know is that at least one Death Eater has breached the castle. Has Malfoy been acting strangely around you?"
Well, I believe he almost kissed me in the office. "No," Hermione said flatly. Her thought took her by surprise and she tried to shake it out. Never, in a million years, would she have imagined that actually happening. But the strange part was that it almost did.
Dumbledore sighed, "Well I guess it could be anyone."
Hermione crossed her arms. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked sternly.
"I didn't know for certain. I wouldn't want to throw out empty accusations before knowing the truth. "
Hermione exhaled with annoyance and moved on. She knew the feeling of being kept in the dark all too well. She was almost used to it."How do you know the Death Eaters got in?"
"Well, they didn't use the vanishing cabinet. Who let them in did not do it carefully. I felt the wards around the castle shift, which then enabled the Death Eaters to apparate here. And I do believe it's a student that is letting them in," Dumbledore elaborated while pacing the floor.
Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "A student? Who could possibly-"
Dumbledore interjected, "It's happened before, has it not?"
The reminder stung Hermione. Could it possibly have been Malfoy? She thought he had changed after that night in the astronomy tower. She thought that he had sacrificed everything in his life for the greater good. Maybe, just maybe, Malfoy had redeemed himself. But maybe his sudden increase in narcissism wasn't a mask or facade at all. Whatever light she saw in him was false. Perhaps what she saw in his eyes was not fear of exposing himself as vulnerable, but fear of exposing himself as a Death Eater.
Dumbledore softly said, "Miss Granger, I must remind you that you are in great danger. I must ask you to go straight to your room, lock your door and windows, and don't leave until the morning. I promise you that we will expel this danger by tomorrow. And I also suggest that you tell no one of the situation. I want this to be handled quickly, and quietly. I do not want students panicking."
Hermione nodded and turned around. She didn't wait for a dismissal, for she opened the door and exited the office. She made it half-way down the stairs before a sob escaped her lips. She leaned her forehead against the stone wall and attempted to muffle her cries by biting her lip. The sudden outburst took her aback. What was she bloody crying about?! In that moment, she told herself it was nonsense. But looking back, she would see that she was crying because she was scared. Scared it would be another repeat of last year, only, Merlin forbid, the Death Eaters would succeed. She was scared for Harry and Ron. She was scared for herself. And she was even scared for Draco Malfoy.
After a long time, Hermione had forgotten her intention as she was leaving Dumbledore's office. Her eyes were bloodshot and stinging. She was only relieved when her eyelids covered them. She found herself drifting off to sleep every time she closed her eyes. She tried to fight it, but her exhaustion overtook her. After awhile, she let sleep take her away as her head leaned against the stone wall.
"Bellatrix?! How did you get here? And how did you summon me?" interrogated Draco, as he held up his wand to her.
"Being in the Dark Lord's good graces comes with benefits. One of them is the power to summon. And as far as getting through, Millicent let me in. She really is a dear. All I had to do was teach her the Unbeautify curse to cast on you," Bellatrix looked at Draco up and down and chuckled, "And my, my Draco. You look wretched. You must have been a real prick."
"You taught her this magic?!" Draco hissed.
"Oh, yes. It's quite a marvel, isn't it? Draco Malfoy, the narcissist, turned as ugly as his soul." Bellatrix accosted him while snickering, "It's deliciously ironic, isn't it?"
Draco tried to rebuke but Bellatrix spoke again, "Speaking of irony, you're probably wondering why I summoned you here to this spot," Bellatrix then continued in an irritated voice, "the same spot where you betrayed us."
"So do what you came here to do! Kill me!" Draco provoked.
"As much as I want to, nephew dearest, I can't. Narcissa-"
Draco gasped at the sound of her name. "Mother? Where is she?! Is she safe?" he demanded.
"Yes, yes Cissy is fine. She begged me to come here. I should warn you that Death Eaters are going to infiltrate the castle in a month. Their sole objective is to kill you and..." Bellatrix snapped her fingers trying to remember the name. "that one Mudblood..."
Draco's breath stopped short. "Granger?"
"Oh yes! That peachy little tart!" Bellatrix then glanced at Draco looking perplexed. "I'm surprised you react to her death warrant and not yours."
"Well, I already knew about mine. Why do they want Granger dead?" Draco asked accusingly.
Bellatrix lifted her eyebrows in awe and replied, "She's the most famous mudblood on the planet, and the Dark Lord wants to rid it of her kind. Don't tell me you've come to care for the girl!"
"No!" Draco shook out his head and then stammered, "N-no. Curiosity." He remembered it was the same reply Granger gave him when he asked her why she cared.
Bellatrix carried on, "Anyway, I suggest you tell your Headmaster about the attack. But, it's not like you can do anything about it. Millicent has done much damage to the wards around the castle, so you should tell your precious mudblood to keep on her guard. Luckily for you, the Unbeautify curse is a blessing in disguise. You are completely unrecognizable, and due to the curse, no magic can ever trace you as Draco Malfoy. To the world's knowledge, Draco Malfoy doesn't exist."
Draco shivered at Bellatrix's words, and he was stunned silent. He had a completely new identity. Unless he found someone to break the curse, Draco Malfoy, the identity, would never live again.
Bellatrix then broke the ice, "There's one more thing I should tell you. If you want to keep the girl alive, you cannot let her leave the castle. Currently, there are a dozen Death Eaters camping out in the Forbidden Forest."
"If they're surrounding the castle, and the wards are disturbed, why haven't they attacked yet?
"Well, it's because I'm not letting them," Bellatrix confessed. Draco looked confused and tried to respond but Bellatrix interrupted him, "I'm the head of this operation. Right now, they think I'm meeting with Millicent to coerce her into disturbing the wards. They have no idea that they could have free reign of this place right now. "
"Then why did you tell me that the infiltration will happen in a month?"
"That's when I plan to tell the blighters the wards are down."
Draco walked towards her and asked, "Why would-"
She stopped him abruptly, "Time, Draco! To buy you time for you to hide!" She made a noise of disgust as she brushed him off, "Bloody hell!"
Bellatrix rubbed her temples as Draco spoke again, "I thought you said that I don't exist anymore."
She threw up her hands. "Well it doesn't sound like you're leaving that girl alone, and I can guarantee that the Death Eaters will kill anything that stands in the way of her."
Bellatrix scoffed, and reached for her wand to disapparate but Draco called her out, "Wait!" She stopped and gave him an impatient look. "Why are you doing this? Why are you warning me?"
She sighed heavily and replied, "Because unlike you, I haven't abandoned my family. I promised Narcissa to keep you safe, and I have no intention of reneging." Draco hated to admit it, but he was touched by the words. His mother hadn't disowned him, and apparently neither had his aunt. He gave Bellatrix a sad look.
She practically gagged, "Don't look at me like that, you plug-ugly prune! Honestly, put a shirt on or something! You look horrible!"
Draco slightly snickered and muttered, "Thank you."
Bellatrix waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Right after I leave, " Bellatrix made a horrified look at him again, "and after you cover yourself, take Millicent to the hospital wing. She won't remember a thing of this conversation so don't bring it up with her. After you drop her off, go to Dumbledore."
Before Draco could thank her again, she disapparated away.
He couldn't believe it. The notorious Bellatrix LeStrange was protecting him from her master, Voldemort. Draco was flooded with guilt as he realized that Bellatrix would suffer terrible consequences for this. If she wasn't killed, the Cruciatus curse would drive her into madness. He knew he didn't deserve it. And to think his mum was still there for him made him feel even more unworthy.
Draco deeply exhaled and then remembered what he was doing. Draco threw on his shirt and then walked over to Millicent. He threw her over his left shoulder, gripping her legs with his left arm, being as graceful as he could be. He then grabbed his wand with his other hand and apparated to the Hospital Wing.
Once he got there, he noticed how it was quiet, and the halls were empty. Draco sighed in relief that students were either in their common rooms or asleep. Draco carefully walked forward to talk to the Healer. Madam Pomfrey was sitting down at her desk, making a salve. Draco cleared his throat and spoke, "Madam Pomfrey? I found this girl stupefied on the astronomy tower."
She stopped what she was doing. "Oh my! That's-" When she looked up, she gasped in horror as she saw Draco. She then screamed as her eyes drifted to Millicent's body draped over his shoulder.
Draco quickly placed Millicent on an empty bed and then walked towards the terrified healer. "Madam Pomfr-"
"What have you done to her, you monster?!" She grabbed her wand and pointed it at Draco.
"Wait!" Draco looked around.
Panicked, he took out his wand and shouted, "Obliviate!"
Madam Pomfrey fell to the floor, fainted. Draco turned and sprinted out of the hospital wing. He took out his wand and apparated.
As Draco appeared in his room, he listened for any sounds of stirring from outside his room. He was relieved when he heard nothing but silence. Thank Merlin that no one heard the ruckus from the Hospital Wing. Draco decided that he needed to look more discreet. He went over to his trunk to find some more suitable clothing. He took off his shirt, slacks, and formal shoes and replaced them with a black t-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black hoodie.
Draco looked into his full-length mirror. He almost forgot that he was now a hideous, and disgusting beast. The way Madam Pomfrey looked at him made his insides churn. It was the most horrible expression he had ever seen. He had never seen someone so disgusted and mortified. And not to mention, that he was the reason for it. He was now an outcast. An outsider. He didn't belong anywhere.
He furiously punched the glass, though this time, the mirror didn't reduce to dust. He could still see his revolting reflection in the broken and jagged mirror. He felt a stinging pain in his right hand. He was bleeding profusely with pieces of glass still stuck in his skin. "Shite!" he exclaimed, trying to pick out the sharp pieces. He would go to Madam Pomfrey but she would be terrified of him again, and not to mention she had just lost part of her memory. Though she would only forget what happened when she saw Draco, it was still lost.
Pain shot through his hand as he gingerly put his hood on. He needed to get this taken care of. He grabbed his wand and tried a healing spell. Unfortunately, with his non-dominant hand, the spell was completely botched. In fact, it opened the wound even more. Draco screeched in pain and then growled in frustration. Well, he couldn't do anything about it, and trying to apparate with his non-dominant hand could be dangerous. He'd have to go Dumbledore's office on foot.
He slowly opened his door and peeked his head out. He listened for any movement or voices, but it was silent. Everyone was still asleep. Draco walked down the stairs, into the common room, and then into the dungeons.
He managed to make it to the entrance of Dumbledore's office without any problems. When he said the password, he jumped in shock to find Hermione Granger sitting on the hidden staircase. She seemed to be groggy and disoriented. Was the girl just sleeping? Draco ran to hide, but it was too late.
She called out to him, "I'm sorry! Was I in your way?" She stood up and stretched.
Draco remained silent as he stood facing the wall. He heard her step down and walk towards him. He tried to flee, but she grabbed his shoulder. "Excuse me, are-" she suddenly gasped in shock. Draco's heart dropped to his stomach. She saw his horrendous face and was sure to run away in horror. He almost turned around to face her. "Granger, I-"
"Your hand!" She pulled out her wand immediately. "May I?" she asked. Draco made an agreeing grunt from the back of his throat. She performed a healing spell on Draco's bleeding hand. The shards of glass and blood evaporated as a warm, healing glow spread across his hand. Draco instantly felt relief. Not just because of his hand, but because she didn't see his face.
Hermione was firmly holding Draco's hand, and then she made a small gasp. She immediately jerked his hand to her face. Draco made a sound of discomfort as Hermione spoke, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be touchy. But these tattoos are unlike anything I've ever seen in person. Can I see?" He nodded.
Draco turned to the side to sneak a peek at her from the side of his hood. She held his hand palm up with her left hand and traced the marks with her right index finger. Her finger slowly grazed the skin around his palm and around his wrist. "Amazing, " she whispered as she intently studied. Her brown eyes were so intently fixed on the patterns, it was like she was reading a book. She turned his hand around and studied the back of his hand. Her finger circled around his thumb, and around his knuckles. His skin tingled wherever she lightly dragged her finger. She then suddenly let go and reached for his left hand.
Draco violently snatched it away. If she studied his left hand like she studied his right, she would find the Dark Mark. She was taken aback, "I'm so sorry! I- I'm such a nerd when it comes to these things. I've only seen these kinds of tattoos in books. How they take the form of branches and spread all throughout the body. They're supposed to tell a story of some sort, and it's different for everyone who got them. Some told a story of pilgrimage, redemption, or..."
Granger continued to babble. Draco watched her with his peripheral vision. Her eyes completely lit up like a fire as she talked about the tattoos. She was practically glowing as she spouted out everything she knew about the designs. "...they truly are amazing. They're quite beautiful."
"Beautiful?" Draco asked.
"Beautiful," she repeated with a grin. His heart warmed as she smiled widened.
Draco was absolutely wonderstruck by this girl. He didn't know if it was the late hour, or if he was drunk off Firewhiskey, but he was in awe of how she seemed to find beauty in the smallest things. Things that Draco found insignificant.
"Anyway, I need to get to sleep. Goodbye," she said while walking away. She then yelled over her shoulder, "Nice to sort-of meet you!" Draco grinned as he watched her walk away. He had never seen her light up like that. She was so carefree and full of bliss as she expressed her love of knowledge , and it was somehow hypnotizing to Draco.
He almost forgot what he was doing, but then was suddenly jolted with recollection. He was going to see Dumbledore in his office to warn him about the Death Eater attack. He ran up the stairs, and then suddenly remembered that Dumbledore has never seen him like this. How would he react? Would he react? The possibilities ran through his mind as he opened the door.
Draco held his breath as he watched the Headmaster turn around. When he met Dumbledore's eyes, Draco saw how Dumbledore was taken aback. "Draco, my dear boy, what happened to you?"
"Headmaster Dumbledore! I must speak with you," he said. Draco dared to put his hood down. He reached up slowly and cautiously brought the fabric down behind his skull.
Dumbledore slightly gasped and closed his eyes. He slowly sat down and remained silent.
Draco said exasperatingly, "Headmaster, the Death Eaters are back."
Draco explained to Dumbledore the entire situation. He talked about how Millicent let Bellatrix in the castle in exchange for the knowledge of the Unbeautify curse. He then explained how Bellatrix told him of the Death Eater's plans to infiltrate the castle in a month and kill both him and Granger.
" We are in danger, and we only have a month to prepare!" Draco said to Dumbledore. The Headmaster stood up, shell-shocked at the situation.
"What should we do?" Draco asked desperately.
The Headmaster began to pace the floor and replied, "This is a very difficult situation. We cannot repair the wards, for Millicent has done irreparable damage. Miss. Granger cannot leave the castle, for she would alert the Death Eaters. And you can't be in the castle because of your..." Dumbledore trailed off as he looked at Draco.
Draco rolled his eyes and flatly said, "Situation?"
"Yes. Your situation."
Draco scoffed, "Again, what do you suggest we do?"
Dumbledore continued pacing the floor. Draco watched the old man silently walk back and forth. He could tell that the man's mind was at work. Suddenly, he stopped. He turned to look at Draco and suggested, "First, we need you to disappear, and yet still be here."
Draco scrunched up his face in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"Your curse comes at a very good time, indeed. The Death Eaters cannot track you, for you are an entirely different person. Although you do need to be out of the school grounds."
"What are you suggesting?"
Dumbledore still seemed to be sorting through his thoughts, "We need someone to keep an eye out for Miss. Granger. She's safe for at least a month, but when the time comes, she'll need a protector; you, Mr. Malfoy."
"What?" Draco looked at Dumbledore incredulously.
"Well, no one else can. You and I are the only ones who know what's about to happen. I can't keep an eye on her, and keep the rumors settled down,"
"What rumors?"
" By tomorrow, the Head Boy will be missing and Millicent will be found in the hospital. Something has to be said to keep things under control."
The truth. Draco almost said. But something kept him back from saying it. The truth would be that Millicent let a Death Eater into the castle, and that forced Draco into hiding. The thing is, that "truth" is black and white. The real truth has a gray area.
Draco closed his eyes and sighed, "Say that Millicent exposed me as a Death Eater, and I had to escape. And when the time comes, blame the coming up infiltration on me as well. Say that I disrupted the wards."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You'd take the fall for this? And leave Millicent completely innocent? You, who did nothing wrong, will take the blame for what Millicent did?"
"Actually, I'm not innocent. I made her do this. Besides, I'll be gone anyway. Let them talk." The words tasted like acid as they left Draco's mouth. It was so unlike him, yet he knew it was the right thing to do.
Dumbledore crossed his arms and smiled. " Draco, maybe there is hope for you."
Everyone can afford hope, too. Even for themselves. Granger's words coursed through his mind. Maybe... just maybe... the mudblood was right.
"Mr. Malfoy, I'm afraid we still need to relocate you." Dumbledore paused and thought for a moment. "And I know just the place."