"You have a plan?"
Draco smirked. "Of course. A better plan than yours. You lot really thought you were going to break into a high security Gringotts vault? I'm curious as to how."
"Polyjuice Potion," Hermione said. She pulled a vial from the depths of her bag. She looked at it solemnly. "Though there's only enough for one of us now. But I have a few of Bellatrix's hairs left on me from yesterday. And her wand. That ought to be enough to get us in. It's just a matter of not getting caught."
"You brewed Polyjuice Potion?" Draco asked, mildly impressed.
Ron grinned and turned to Harry. "Should we tell him?"
That got Draco's attention. "Tell me what?"
Harry stifled a laugh, remembering the look on Malfoy's face as he and Ron had fled the Slytherin common room disguised as Crabbe and Goyle.
"What's so funny?"
"Do you remember Christmas break back in Second Year? We all thought it was a little odd you stayed at Hogwarts instead of going home, Malfoy, so we…er… did some investigating."
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Investigating…"
"Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be acting strangely too," Ron mused.
"Yeah," Harry added. "I heard they got stuck in a broom cupboard or something… Wonder how that happened…"
The look of realization on Draco's face was priceless. "That was you?"
Harry and Ron collapsed in a fit of laughter. Draco could only look between the two of them in utter disbelief. "You are insane. All three of you. Absolutely mad."
"You're just getting that now?" Hermione asked impatiently. She nudged Ron in the ribs with her foot. "Get a grip, will you?"
"Sorry," Ron said. "I've only just realized how much explaining we probably have to do to Malfoy. Poor bloke."
"Later," Hermione said firmly. She turned to Draco who was now sitting up in bed, absently staring at Harry as if he'd never seen him before. "What's this brilliant plan of yours, Malfoy?"
Draco's eyes snapped back into focus and he cleared his throat. "You want something out of the Lestrange's vault, correct?"
"Yes."
"And for that you need a Lestrange."
"Yes," Hermione said impatiently. "Hence the Polyjuice Potion."
"Ah, but an actual Lestrange would work a little better, don't you think?"
"But Bellatrix…"
Draco shook his head. "Not Bellatrix. Rodolphus. Ever since they've been out of Azkaban, dear uncle Rodolphus hasn't been exactly thrilled with the new regime."
"How do you know?" Hermione asked.
"I've been living at the Manor remember? I've heard some things. Seen some things too…" Draco shuddered. "It's not exactly a secret that Rodolphus isn't happy with Bellatrix and from the sound of it, that all started long before they were put in Azkaban in the first place."
"So wait…" Ron said. "You expect us to trust another Death Eater to help? I don't even trust you." He turned to Harry. "Sorry, mate, I don't like this at all."
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione pressed on with her questioning. "How do you know Rodolphus will sympathize with us?"
"I'm telling you, he already does," Draco said. "I practically heard him say so to Snape once when they thought they were alone in the library. Got an earful for it too; you know how Snape is. But he can't very well desert the cause, can he?"
"What about the vault? He can get in?"
Draco nodded. "Now that Bellatrix is wandless, I reckon he's the only one who can get in."
Hermione crossed her arms and fell silent, biting her bottom lip. Harry watched it all from the corner, and he could sense her resolve against Malfoy weakening. Ron was clearly not going to change his opinion any time soon, and truthfully, Harry didn't blame him. He knew it was a lot to ask, but Polyjuice Potion wasn't foolproof, and he didn't want to press their luck, especially considering what happened at the Ministry the last time they'd used it.
"What if the thing we're looking for isn't in there?" Hermione asked.
"The Hufflepuff Cup, you mean?" Draco responded. "It's in there."
Hermione gave Harry a look of disapproval. Harry only grinned. "I didn't mention a word about the Cup, Hermione."
"He didn't," Draco agreed. "He just said something valuable that might be associated with one of the founders of Hogwarts. He gave her Hufflepuff's Cup. I know because it's sort of a sore spot with my father. Bellatrix got a relic from a Hogwarts founder and all he got was a blank diary. Turns out that old diary was worth more than he realized, eh? The Dark Lord was very upset when he learned my father 'lost' it. To be honest I think that's why he's turned our house into his headquarters. It's convenient, but I think he likes reminding my father of the piss poor servant he was."
"It is valuable," Ron said. "But do you know why?"
"Because it belonged to Helga Hufflepuff obviously," Draco responded. "I assume it has other magical properties. Not really sure. Why?"
"No reason," Ron said, but he seemed satisfied that Harry hadn't mentioned Horcruxes at all.
Draco only rolled his eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Weasley. I don't know what you three are up to, and I don't care. I'm just along for the ride, and seeing as that is the case, I thought I'd make it a little easier on all of us. What do you say?"
Harry gave Hermione a pleading look. She sighed. "I'm not sure about this, Harry. Draco is one thing, but Rodolphus Lestrange? There are too many Death Eaters involved in this plan already."
"It's thanks to one Death Eater that we got hold of the locket," Harry reminded her. "Regulus Black was willing to die for it. I think Dumbledore would want us to give Rodolphus the same chance."
"Dumbledore also trusted Snape and look where that got him," Ron muttered bitterly.
"That was my fault, actually," Draco said suddenly. He fumbled with the hem of his robes. "My mother kind of forced him to make an Unbreakable Vow. He swore to finish the old man off if I couldn't, and well… I couldn't. She didn't tell me about it until afterward."
"I still don't trust him," Ron said.
"I don't trust him either," Draco said, shaking his head. "He plays his part well, but I think he's on your side. Rodolphus reckons so too."
"All right, so no one trusts Snape," Harry said, finally getting to his feet, "but I still say if we have to get into the Lestrange vault, then we ought to get a Lestrange to do it instead of relying on one hour's worth of Potion. Not to mention Griphook. From the sound of it Rodolphus will be easier to persuade."
"Does this mean we're going back to the Manor?" Ron asked uneasily.
"Do we have a choice?" Harry asked. "Malfoy can get in and out, right?" He looked to the other boy who nodded confidently.
Ron fidgeted. "What if we get caught? I don't know if we could escape a second time. Isn't that pushing our luck?"
Then without warning, Draco quickly lunged toward Hermione, hand outstretched. Before Harry could register what was happening, Draco had thrown something at the opposite wall.
Crash!
"Hey!" Hermione clenched her fists, eyes shooting daggers at Draco, while Ron was pressed against a shelf in order to avoid being hit with the vial containing what was left of the Polyjuice Potion. The result was that it had shattered against the wall, the thick contents staining the wallpaper as it dripped slowly down toward the floor.
"Now you only have one option," Draco said. "Are you in or not?"
Ron looked from Hermione to Harry and back again. Seeing that he was outnumbered, he sighed and admitted defeat. "Fine."
Hermione nodded solemnly. "All right," she said. "I just hope this works."
"It will," Draco said. He lay down on the bed once again, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. "It has to."
Harry took a deep breath and motioned for the other two to leave the room. He made to follow them but not before giving Draco a grateful smile. "Get some rest," he said.
Draco nodded. "Thanks, Potter."
Harry closed the door behind him and joined his friends in the living room who were organizing a game of Exploding Snap with Dean and Luna. As he sat down to play it felt odd to be doing something so ordinary as if the world as they all knew it wasn't hanging in the balance, but he tried not to dwell on it. It wouldn't be long before he had to put such simple pleasures behind him.
