A/N: I'm sorry that it has taken some time since I last updated, but sometimes life insists on having your attention, and there's not much else to do but comply.


Chapter 8: Dark Arts again


It's a lazy Saturday. Students are enjoying their breakfast without hurry, chatting and laughing over their plates. Then the daily owls come with the post, and Harry can't help thinking of the soft white owl that will never deliver any more post to him. He clutches his coffee tight and tries to find more positive thoughts. Beside him Hermione unfolds her Daily Prophet and then there is a choking sound from her. At the same time the volume in the hall gets distinctly louder, and Harry looks up from his tea.

"Harry..." Hermione's voice is raspy and barely more than a whisper. "You need to see this." She hands over the paper to him. He takes it and the headline greets him along with a photo of himself. He is walking out from one of the hearings at the Ministry, looking uneasy because of the photographers and trying to shield himself with his hand. He looks from the photo to the headline.

THE CHOSEN ONE CHOOSES THE DARK ARTS

The Daily Prophet can as first newspaper report about the strange and scary things that have been

taking place at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Dark Arts are said to have made its way into the school with help from the known Death Eater Draco Malfoy, who for the time being is a student at the school. Why this dangerous person has been allowed in is any one's guess. We haven't been able to reach Headmistress Minerva McGonagall for a comment, and her reasons for this unthinkable decision is shrouded in darkness.

Even more distressing is the fact that Malfoy has been said to be giving lessons in the Dark Arts, and worst of all is his choice of pupil. The new student in the Dark Arts should be nobody else than

Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, Saviour of the Wizard World. Yes, we know that

it's hard to believe that he would do something like that, but we give you the evidence and you can

judge for yourself.

We have a lot of witnesses who can tell about the strange things that have been happening. None of

them want to have their names shown, and we can't blame them, no one wants to risk being the next

victim."Potter has been different this year, he has started to attack people in the corridors." says

one of our sources. "He might be a great wizard, but I've always been a bit scared of him. In my

opinion he has always had a liking for the Dark Arts, just look at how he has understood it even as

a kid. And let's not forget that he is a Parselmouth, he obviously has a natural gift for the Dark

Arts." tells another. A third points out an interesting fact: "Potter and Malfoy were fierce enemies

for all of their school time, and now they are suddenly inseparable. What other could make Potter

change his mind like that?".

Finally sources tell about how Harry Potter at the last fight with You-Know-Who was taunting him

and pointed out his own superiority. We just have to ask ourselves, was Harry Potter out not to kill

an enemy, but a rival?

This is a sad day for the Wizard World. What is happening with the one who is supposed to

lead by example? Was the temptation to big? Are we right now watching the rise of a new Dark

Lord? Only time will tell.

Harry feels all his blood leave his face and he remembers to breathe again. He looks up at the Slytherin table and finds Draco looking at him, white in the face and fear flashing up in his eyes. On the table in front of him lies a copy of The Prophet. The only thing in Harry's mind is to get out of the hall and talk to Draco. But how to do it without confirming everything by walking out together? While he is thinking Draco, Pansy and Blaise are standing up at the Slytherin table and silently walk out of the hall. When he looks back to his own table he realizes that Hermione is watching him.

"It will be OK. Some way. She puts a hand on his arm, and then leans forward. "Ron, Seamus, Neville. You have four minutes to finish your breakfast, then we're out of here."

"Why? What for?" Ron looks indignant.

"Harry needs company out of the hall."

Seamus and Neville nod and turn back to their breakfasts in haste. Ron stares for a second, and then starts to eat in a terrible rate. Harry doesn't touch his food, even though Hermione tries to convince him. When they are pretty much finished they get up and together they walk out of the hall. Harry can feel all eyes in his back. Outside the hall they find Pansy leaned up against a wall, and when she sees them she gestures at Harry to come over. Harry gives his friends a thin smile.

"Thank you, you're the best. I'll go on by myself from here." He nods at them and walks over to Pansy who meets him with thin lips and eyes filled with emotions.

"Third floor. He said you would understand."

oOo

"This is so bad." Harry leans against a desk. "Make sure those locking spells are up, right now I'm really not in the mood for talking to people."

Draco snorts. "Tell me about it."

Harry sighs deeply. "So. What do we do?"

"What can we do?"

"I don't know. Endure? Do you think it will be much worse for you now?"

"Probably. Now everyone is reminded of it."

"Well, at least Ron and Hermione will have to live with being a bit more alone. From now on we two are making company between all classes. I don't care what they say, they just have to understand."

"Harry, you understand that this will be bad for you too? You're their corrupted Saviour after all, maybe the next Dark Lord. There will probably be a lot of people feeling disappointed and let down."

"I can live with that. And if they actually start attacking us I know about a good curse." Harry looks innocently at Draco.

"Don't even joke about it." Draco shakes his head in disgust.

Harry walks over to him and sneaks his arms around him. "Draco, we can do this. There will be people talking and whispering and shouting and maybe hexing, but we can live through it. It will die down eventually."

"But Harry..." His voice is barely more than a whisper. "I'm so afraid."

"You don't have to, it'll be OK. I will be with you."

"You don't understand." He looks miserable. "You said that you were at my hearing?"

"Yes, I was."

"Do you remember the conditions for my parole?" Draco sighs. "First one said that I should go to Hogwarts and complete my education. Secondly... I'm on probation. Five years. Any funny business and I go away." He hides his face in Harry's shoulder.

"Oh shit. You think this..."

"I don't know." Draco's voice is muffled against Harry's shoulder. "Earlier it was just rumours in a school, but now it's out in the open. If someone thinks this is bad enough to demand an investigation..." He looks up, eyes pained. "Do you really think the Aurors would give me a trial? A Death Eater gone free?"

Harry sighs. "I wish you wouldn't call yourself-"

Suddenly someone rattles the door handle and they jump apart. There's a knocking at the door, and then they can hear Hermione's voice.

"Harry? Harry, are you in there? I need to talk to you."

They look at each other, then Draco shrugs. When Harry nods he starts to take down the wards and opens the door.

Hermione looks very strange, huge eyes and pale skin. "Good, you are here too. We've been looking for you. McGonagall wants to see you both. At once."

oOo

"Boys. I guess you know why you are here?" McGonagall gives them a stern glance over her glasses.

Harry and Draco are sitting in two chairs in front of the Headmistress' desk. This has to be about the Daily Prophet, and it probably won't be good.

"I think so, Headmistress." Harry and Draco exchange looks. "I guess you'd like to talk to us about that article."

"I'm going to talk with you about a lot of things. I suggest you tell the truth from the beginning or it will just be a lot worse in the end. Is that clear?"

Harry casts Draco a bewildered look. "Yes, that's clear." He looks at Draco who nods.

"Of course the rumours in the school reach me too. I was aware of the rumours about you two long before the Daily Prophet wrote about it. I want you to know that what knowledge I have isn't coming from the papers." She gives them a piercing look each. "What I'd like to know is if there is any truth in those rumours."

Both boys stare at her in disbelief.

Harry finds his tongue first. "Headmistress, why would I be interested in the Dark Arts?"

"That is something only you can answer, Mr Potter."

Draco speaks up. "Headmistress, I would never do anything like that. I only just got away from my hearing with my freedom intact. Why would I risk that?"

"Mr Potter?"

"No, of course there is no truth in those rumours."

McGonagall nods. "Very well. I have some things that I'd like to straighten out though. I'd like to start with talking about your friendship. I'm all for inter house interactions, but it's just that... you two are a very unlikely combination. Is there any special reason you became friends?"

"I'd say that it turned out that we have more in common than we thought." Draco speaks calmly.

"Like what?"

"The war for example. We both have seen pretty bad things."

"I see. But you have not just been friends, you've spent almost all your time together, barricading in empty classrooms with highly advanced locking spells. Do you care to explain that?"

Harry blushes and McGonagall gives him a piercing look. "Well, Mr Potter?"

"We've been studying. And talking." Harry looks uneasy at first but goes on. "It's not that fun for Draco to be out there with the other students with the way they treat him." Harry glares at McGonagall. "I haven't seen the school do anything about the situation. You do know that they are actually attacking him in the corridors?"

"I assure you that it's not in my plans for the school to have my students harassed." McGonagall presses her lips together, ending the discussion before it goes any longer. "I'd also like to know a bit more about your studying of new spells, and using them during those times."

"I'm afraid that your question was a bit unclear." Draco talks with a totally relaxed face. "Studying and using spells is what we do in this school after all."

McGonagall thinks for a short while. "I've found out that you lock yourselves up and train duelling. And not only using defensive spells."

"With all due respect, it's useless to train defensive spells if you haven't got anything to defend yourself against."

"But the question is what you use to defend yourself against."

Draco's eyes narrow. "Headmistress, I'd like to say that both Harry and I are relatively intelligent students. I really hope that you're not insinuating that we were practising advanced Dark Arts on each other. Because that's just stupid. With all respect."

McGonagall gives Draco an odd look. "I can see that you two are still not telling me everything, but I will move on to something else. I have heard that you, Mr Malfoy, gave Mr Potter a charmed casket in Christmas gift. Is that correct?"

Draco looks impatient. "Yes, I gave Harry that casket. Yes, Weasley couldn't keep his long fingers where they belonged and the casket defended itself as intended. No, it wasn't any grave injury done and no, it wasn't imbued with treacherous Dark magic. A clever jinx, that's all. No darker than the ordinary Stinging jinx."

"I can get it if you like to see it for yourself." Harry nods.

"I might be interested in that at another time, but not now." She looks down on her desk and then up at Harry. "Mr Potter, I'd like to ask you a bit about your correspondence this Christmas holiday."

Harry's eyes widens. "What?"

"I'd like to know who you were writing to, and what was so secret in those letters to need that big amount of protection."

A blush starts up Harry's neck. "That's private. You have no right to ask anything like that."

"I see." McGonagall sighs and then looks very serious. "Mr Potter. I also have a very serious thing to discuss with you. Both of you actually."

Harry looks down in the carpet while Draco only looks mildly interested. McGonagall stares at Harry.

"I've been told that you've used the Cresco spell on another student, is that correct?"

"Yes, Headmistress."

"But Harry- Mr Potter, why would you do something like that?"

"Why? Because that bastard attacked Draco first!" Harry's temper flares up. "He attacked him in the back, after wishing him dead! I'm sorry for not stopping and wait for a written permission to defend us!"

"But why such a Dark spell? There must have been much better things to cast."

"I just..." Harry looks a little bit guilty. "Just used the first one that came to mind. Like I'm used to. The one that would work best in the given situation."

"Mr Potter, this is a school, not a war zone."

"I know. The war is over, I know." Harry is about to say something more, but instead he sighs and pokes the carpet with his foot for a bit. "I can say that I'm sorry for casting it, because I am, but I won't say that he didn't deserve it." He stares stubbornly at McGonagall.

McGonagall takes off her glasses and cleans them slowly. "Harry, I can't have you running around cursing the other students."

"I'm not running around cursing random students! I used one curse, and yes that was stupid of me, one time, at one person. I did it because someone close to me was attacked. I didn't stop and thought about what spell I should use, I just had to... save him." Harry looks at Draco for several seconds while McGonagall puts on her glasses again, then he turns back again. "The war has ended, but some things take time to get over. If you know how to shut it off just like that I'd really like you to tell me. There's a lot I'd like to put behind me."

McGonagall suddenly looks very old and tired."I know. I wish I could." She gives Harry a surprisingly gentle look.

They sit in silence for a few more moments, but then McGonagall sighs and looks intently at Harry. "Mr Potter. I'm going to ask you something very important. I can't emphasize enough the importance of you being honest to me now. Whatever the consequences are." She shoots a look at Draco. "Harry, where did you learn that spell? This is advanced Dark Arts."

"Rabastan Lestrange."

"I'm sorry?" McGonagall looks confused.

"I learned it from Rabastan Lestrange. I heard him use it in the Department of Mysteries."

"Are you sure of that?"

"I'm perfectly sure." Harry makes an irritated sigh. "And don't even try to blame this on Draco. I was the one learning the spell a long time ago, I was the one casting it. Draco had nothing to do with it."

"Then why was Mr Malfoy so worried that anyone might recognize the spell?"

Draco looks at her in total incredulity. "Headmistress, isn't that obvious? Just look at yourself." He shakes his head. "Not once all this time did you believe anything else than that I was the one teaching Harry the curse, which of course would make the rumours true. And you are an intelligent, open-minded person, imagine what the school would have said if they got to know? They would have killed me on sight." He looks up on her and his eyes widens. "You still don't believe us."

"All I know is that you're still not telling me the whole story here. I haven't been a teacher for so many years not to know when my students are keeping something from me." She hesitates. "You should know that I have been asked to straighten this out by asking Aurors to come here and conduct an investigation. They'll be able to use Veritaserum if needed." McGonagall's face is set in stone.

There are two gasps.

"No, you can't do that!" Harry looks at McGonagall in terror.

"Mr Potter, if you are as innocent as you say you shouldn't have anything to fear."

"No, it's Draco!" He and McGonagall look at Draco who's sickly pale now. "You can't do that to him!"

"I can't? Mr Potter, I'd like to-"

"Don't you know? He's on probation! They won't care a bit if he's innocent or not, if they get a shadow of a reason..." Harry looks over at Draco who looks scared, and alone. He wishes he could take his hand, to comfort him in some way.

McGonagall suddenly looks much older again. "I know that. That is one of the reasons why I haven't already done it. But you have to understand, this doesn't look good for you. So far I've seen a lots of indications that you two are up to something, but you don't give me any explanations, just deny everything. I'm sorry, but I can't keep your backs forever. You're of age, and I'd like to know why I'm covering for you anyway. If you can't talk to me then maybe you'll talk to the Aurors.

There is silence. McGonagall looks at the two boys who are staring intensively at each other, both with masks of pale fear. She hates to do this, but she has to do something. Then Draco nods.

"Are you sure?" Harry gives him a searching look.

"Yes." Draco looks defeated and a bit defensive. "You better tell her." He then pulls up his chin and gives McGonagall a defiant stare.

"Well." Harry stares intently at McGonagall. "This information does not leave this room, is that clear?"

"I can't make that kind of promise when I don't know what you're going to tell me."

"Harry..." Draco closes his eyes.

"Headmistress. It is nothing illegal. Just highly personal. Please?" Harry's voice is pained.

McGonagall thinks for a bit and then nods. "I guess I can accept under those circumstances."

Harry looks at his lap, then at the wall, then at McGonagall, obviously looking for words. "Well, those letters..."

"Yes?" McGonagall looks surprised.

"You were all right of course, it was Draco I was writing to, and who was writing to me. But I couldn't show them to my friends because..." Harry looks at Draco who nods again. "...because they were love letters."

There is absolute silence in the Headmistress office for a couple of heartbeats, then Draco leans over and takes Harry's hand in his own.

"We didn't want for the school, and with it the whole wizard world, to know. It was worth the other rumours to keep it silent." Draco talks with a calm voice even though he still is paler than normally. "We didn't dare to confide in anyone else, it was just too much of a risk."

Harry looks tired but squeezes Draco's hand. "Can you imagine what a field day the papers would have? What they would say about Draco? If they hated him when they thought he may have corrupted me with the Dark Arts, what would they do if they knew he actually was my boyfriend?"

"My dear boys..." McGonagall looks lost for words. "I must say I really didn't see this coming."

Harry smiles at Draco, who gives the tiniest of smiles back. Then he looks back at his Headmistress. "I can assure you that we didn't see that either." He shrugs. "But here we are. And we're just trying to make the best of it."

Draco moves a bit closer to Harry. "I hope you've got answers to your questions now."

"Yes, I can see it now. Spending a lot of time together, locking yourselves away, intense correspondence when separated..." She gives a grim smile. "Yes, it suddenly makes sense. The rest was really only about that curse, and I guess we're... finished with that." McGonagall still looks taken aback.

"Good." Harry stands up. "Am I free to go decapitate Hermione now?"

Draco stands up, close to Harry. "Granger started this?" Draco's face becomes a mask of cold fury. "She'll be in so much trouble when I find her."

"I will not have any acts of vengeance here! There is nothing that says that Miss Granger is involved in this in any way, and I don't know why you are thinking that." McGonagall gives them a stern look.

"Who else would have all of your facts? Even if I don't think she was the one going to the papers, she sure was involved in this. Headmistress, Hermione is my best friend, I know her." He looks at Draco. "And I think that's why I should talk to her alone first."

"I repeat myself. I will not have you take any actions against Miss Granger, regardless if she had something to do with this or not."

"You can't forbid us to talk to her?" Harry looks disbelievingly at McGonagall.

"No, I can't keep you from talking to her. But you do nothing else than talking." McGonagall shoots Draco a grim look. "Just keep in mind that there is nothing that tells that she has done anything wrong."

Harry snorts. "I know Hermione."

oOo

"You and me are going to talk. Now. Outside." Harry's face is forcedly neutral when he carelessly drags Hermione up from her chair in the Gryffindor common room. "Go and get your clothes."

Hermione looks at Harry with big eyes. "Harry, I-"

"Now!" Anger is slipping through his mask, and he forces it back. "I'll wait here." Hermione turns and runs up to the girls' dormitory.

"Mate, what is this about?" Ron comes over to Harry. "There's no need to be so harsh with her."

"This doesn't concern you, Ron. Stay out of it."

"You can't just treat her like that and then tell me to just accept it."

Harry breathes steadily. "Why don't you ask her yourself? If she has any problem with it."

"You bet I will!" Ron looks angry.

Hermione comes running down from the dormitories, she's half dressed and there are traces of tears in her face. By now it's a lot of eyes on the three of them. She puts on the rest of he clothes and turns to Harry.

"Wait just a minute!" Ron steps up. "Why do you let him treat you like this? Why don't you just tell him off? Do you want me to do it?"

"Oh Ron..." Hermione looks as if she's going to start crying. "Ron it's OK. Don't worry. We just need to talk a bit." Before Ron opens his mouth she adds, "Alone."

"Fine, all set." Harry looks impatient. "Let's get out of here."

"Yeah, I guess..." Ron doesn't look convinced.

Harry and Hermione walks out of the common room, with many curious faces left behind them. They walk through the castle in silence, and then Harry leads the way towards the Forbidden Forest. When they are out of earshot from the castle Harry turns around, his face absolutely furious.

"Harry, I can-"

"Did you have any idea what you were doing?" Harry's voice is thick with anger.

"McGonagall promised not to say anything!"

"Oh, fuck McGonagall, of course she didn't say anything! But I know you! Something you didn't know and you just couldn't let it go!"

"But you have to understand that-"

"Did you go to the papers too? Did you sink that low?"

"No! Of course not! I wouldn't-"

"Well that's the first thing looking positive for you right now!" Harry looks away to the forest, and then back at Hermione with an enraged face. "I don't know what infuriates me the most. That you were willing to send Draco to Azkaban for all we know, or the fact that you didn't have more faith in me!"

"I do have faith in-"

"Then why the hell did you go to McGonagall with such a bull story?"

"I had to. Oh Harry, I'm so sorry, but I had to do something. I couldn't just..." Hermione trails off. "What happens with you now?"

"What happens... Oh, for fuck's sake Hermione!" Harry turns around and covers his face with his hands. Then he swirls around and faces her again. "What happens? You still believe in your little story? Of course nothing will happen!"

"What? You mean..." Hermione pales. "It's not true?"

"Honestly, Hermione, you call yourself my friend?" Harry shakes his head in contempt. "I can't get my head around the fact that you were so sure that I was eager to learn the Dark Arts. And it's even harder to get the fact that you didn't come to me, but ran off and told on me!"

"Oh..." Hermione sinks down in the snow. "Oh, Harry..." Tears start to work their way down her cheeks.

"Did you even stop to think what would have happened if McGonagall had summoned the Aurors before talking to us? If she thought your clever story was good enough?"

"Harry, I'm so sorry."

"They would have taken Draco away without the hint of a thought. Do you think they would have let go of the opportunity to get someone with the Mark locked away? That they would have cared the least if he was guilty or not?" Harry clenches his fists.

"I didn't..."

"...think about that?" Harry looks away "No, I get that much. I just can't believe that you could do something like this. And yeah, there will be more. I insisted that I should talk to you alone at first, but I'm pretty sure Draco has some things to say to you too."

Hermione swallows. "But Harry, there were so many things, so many strange things. And I did ask you, but you never answered me."

Harry gives her a cold look.

"Like... what about the letters. If it wasn't about... Why wouldn't you show us?"

"You know Hermione, I do have a personal life. And even though I usually share almost everything with you, I really don't think you deserve that I confide in you right now."

Hermione stands up and throws her arms around Harry's neck. "Harry, really, I'm so sorry!" She bows down her head and starts to cry on Harry's shoulder.

Harry sighs and puts his arms around her. "Hermione, you got to see, I'm just so angry with you right now. That's not just going to go away." He sighs again. "But I also know you actually care about me."

"I'm so sorry, I've been awful." Hermione's voice is muffled against Harry's cloak. "There was just so much... and you didn't talk... and then there was that curse..." She sniffs and steps away, trying to dry the tears off her face. "When I saw you throw that curse I was sure. Harry, that's a really evil spell, why did you..."

Harry shrugs and gives her a chilly look. "An accident."

"An accident." Hermione looks at him.

"Well, I think I have yelled enough for now, I'm going inside." He takes a couple of steps and then

turns around. "Are you coming? Or should I tell Draco that you are out here waiting for him?"

Hermione hurriedly walks up to him and they walk together towards the school.


The rumours that sneaked around the school earlier are now a constant buzzing after the article in the Daily Prophet. Everywhere people are exchanging new information, one more ridiculous than the other. Some people know to tell that the staff had to renovate a whole classroom where all the furniture had been turned to ashes, others tell about strange lights down at the lake at night and unconfirmed disappearances from Hogsmeade, and some just say that Harry has reopened The Chamber of Secrets to study in.

There is one good thing coming from the article. Most of the lower years students are now too terrified to do anything else than hurry the other way if they met Harry and Draco in the corridors. This doesn't apply to the older students though. There are a lot of hard shoulders bumping into them when meeting people, also both whispers and outspoken insults, even some things close to threats, and every now and then there is a hex coming their way. The difference now is that even if Draco still gets the worst of it, Harry is getting his fair share too. Draco spends a lot of time repeating 'Ignore them. Just ignore them.' to Harry over and over again.

The first time a spell hits Harry is in a crowded corridor, and it's a Stinging Jinx. Not particular painful, but neatly aimed and it hits him right between the shoulders. He instantly turns around, wand in hand, but it's no use. The chattering of the passing students concealed the sound of the incantation, and staring at the sea of students it's impossible to tell who is the guilty one.

"Harry, just ignore it." Draco pulls him around and makes him keep on walking for the next class. "There's nothing you can do about it, so just don't give them the satisfaction to have gotten to you."

"But they are bloody cowards, not having the guts to stand up for their opinions! At least the shouters do that."

Draco snorts. "They also believe you will turn them to stone just by looking at them if you get a reason, can you blame them for not facing you?"

"Yes I can, and I do." Harry whines when he cautiously rubs the spot between his shoulders. "And I'm not a fucking basilisk."

"You never know." Draco looks amused. "Maybe you're a basilisk animagus? You do speak parseltongue after all."

"Very funny." Harry looks in disgust at the students around them. "Just give them a new idea to gossip about, do that."

That's when the Leg-Locker curse hits Draco, and when Harry has performed the counter-curse and helped him up from the floor there is no way to even say which way the perpetrator can be found. Harry grinds his teeth while they go on to the next class.

The confrontation comes a couple of days later, when they are walking down an empty corridor. Around the corner in front of them, four boys and a girl appear, all seem to be among the older students. When they meet, the other students block their way.

"Now, what do we have here?" The boy who is in the front speaks up and looks around at his friends. "I'd say we just ran into something nasty."

A dark haired boy drawls in disgust. "If it isn't Harry Potter, The Boy Who Got Dark Ambitions." He turns and looks at Draco. "And his pet Death Eater."

The girl snickers.

One of the boys looks like he had slept in his clothes, and he steps up and eyes Harry up and down. "We don't like people like you."

Harry looks slightly angry. "Well, then you have a problem. Live with it."

Draco puts a calming hand on Harry's shoulder, and moves a little bit closer when two of the boys pass them and end up behind them.

The drawling boy talks again. "We tend to take care of our problems. And their pets."

"Then why don't you go and do that somewhere else?" Harry looks irritated. "I can't see that-"

The untidy boy grabs the front of Harry's shirt and slams him hard into the wall. His head hits the stone, and through the pain he can hear someone saying 'Take his wand'. He tries to stop the hands, but then his head hits the wall again. Through eyes watering from the pain he can see Draco step up and aiming a punch at the untidy boy, but there's a lot of hands stopping him and throwing him to the floor instead. After that nothing really gets any better.

Harry sits down on the floor next to Draco, seeing the last of the boys disappearing around the corner. He can see his wand on the floor a bit away, but he really hasn't got the energy to go and get it. He looks at Draco.

"I think your nose is broken."

"Yeah." Draco sits up and makes a grimace. "It sure feels like it."

"Nothing else I hope?" Harry looks worried.

"I don't think so. I sure have had worse." He sighs. "What about you?"

"The back of my head is pretty sore, but other than that I think it's just bruises."

"Let Madam Pomfrey look at it. I'd like her to do something about my nose anyway." He captures the hesitant expression on Harry's face. "You don't have to worry, she never tells on students. No one will know about it. Not even McGonagall." He stands up and reaches out a hand to Harry. "Go get your wand now and then we'll get going, I really don't want to be here if they decide to come back."

"I can't argue with you there." Harry gets his wand, and then they walk together towards the hospital wing.