* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *
PART THREE
The Eighth Year
Chapter 40: Funeral for Our Friends
The days following Dean and Tracey's deaths were awful. The events threatened to rip the group apart. Lilly and Sadie had been let out of the hospital wing the following morning. Ron had said goodbye to his ex-girlfriend and left; nobody knew what had happened between them in the last 24 hours.
When they all came back to the common room, news of what had happened between Neville and Hannah reached their ears; it was already spreading through the Hogwarts grapevine like wildfire. Everyone was forced to pick a side in the civil war that was now rife among the group, they were either with Neville and Susan, or they were with Hannah. Almost everyone gravitated towards Neville's side because he had done nothing wrong.
Hannah had acted like a bit of a psycho and broken up with him as far as they saw it.
They understood that she had done it because she was in pain, but Neville had been in pain too, and without Hannah to seek comfort in, he found it in someone else. Harry and Hermione understood that more than anyone else, although Hermione did try to sit on the fence in the argument.
The only person who truly stood by Hannah was Lilly which was surprising because she and Neville had been close when they were younger. Lilly and Hannah had been friends for the same length of time; however, and Lilly also knew what it was like to be cheated on. Hannah maintained that Neville did cheat on her, even though she had broken up with him beforehand.
The internal issues only made the week harder and more awkward for everyone. They couldn't go anywhere without being asked questions by other students, and each day seemed to be a struggle as they neared the funeral on Sunday. They were all just very glad that this family planning class was delayed out of respect for Dean and Tracey.
The joint funeral was going to take place at Hogwarts. McGonagall was going to do the honours, and once it was over, the coffins were to be buried in the war graveyard. So many had died in the Battle of Hogwarts that a war graveyard had been erected afterwards with Dumbledore's tomb in the centre of it. Harry and Neville had helped to bury the dead and place the tombstones. Harry visited the graveyard occasionally when he needed to remind himself of the harsh realities of the world.
The fact that Dean and Tracey's bodies were to be placed there was in a way fitting; after all, they had been victims of the war. But they'd had the chance to live for a while after it had ended, and that fact brought Harry some small comfort as he stood in his best black dress robes at the front of the great hall. The entire school had turned up, but the front two rows were reserved for family and close friends. Dean's mother and stepfather, Ella and Daniel, were crying in the front row. Next to them were Dean's half-brother and half-sisters, Darren, Donetta and Danielle, who were also trying hard to conceal their tears. The youngest girl looked about 13, and it broke Harry's heart to see that.
All that was left of Tracey's family were sitting alongside Deans. Her twin brothers, Icarus and Daedalus, had been given compassionate leave from the Minister for Magic to attend the funeral. Still, as soon as their sister's body was in the ground, they would be carted back to Azkaban.
Harry wondered briefly if they felt any responsibility for what had happened; after all, they had been Death Eaters too. One look at their faces was enough to tell Harry that they felt more than enough guilt to last them a lifetime.
Daphne had barely talked to Harry since Tracey had died. She had hardly spoken to anyone. It was like she had put a barrier around herself, and no one could break through it, but today at the funeral, she let Harry wrap his arms around her as she silently cried.
The hall was a sea of black; black dress robes, black dresses, black hats. The silence was eerie, and it didn't befit a room that was usually so loud and had such a happy, energetic feel. As McGonagall took the stage, Harry couldn't help but flash back to Cedric's funeral. For a brief moment, he saw Dumbledore standing where McGonagall stood now. He shut his eyes tightly and held back tears as McGonagall began to speak.
McGonagall cleared her throat, "Today we are mourning the death of two students who had so much more to give," she began, "Dean Thomas and Tracey Davis were a couple who were very much in love and very happy together. It was cruel that they were taken from us in such a way, so soon after they had survived a war that killed so many. Dean and Tracey's sad passing should teach us all a lesson. Life is not to be taken for granted; it is to be cherished and enjoyed while it still can be. No one's time on this earth is unlimited," McGonagall finished, she stepped back to allow Icarus, or perhaps it was Daedalus, to walk to the front of the hall.
"My sister sadly died not knowing that Dean was planning to propose to her that same day," He said in a steady tone, "But I know she died happy because every time she wrote to Daedulus and me, she talked of the man she loved and the amazing new friends she had made this year. We will be forever grateful to those who made her happy and especially to the one girl who made sure that the person responsible got what they deserved."
Icarus gave Susan a curt nod in thanks, then took his seat next to his brother, who grabbed his hand.
Ella then took the stage. It must have been strange for her, and probably quite frightening, to talk in front of so many witches and wizards.
"I'm so pleased to see all of you here today. Knowing that Dean had so many friends and was loved as much in this world as he was in ours means so much to his father and myself. Ever since he met Tracey, Dean had been so happy, and I couldn't have been more delighted when he brought her to meet us. I had never met a sweeter girl, and it breaks my heart that they never got to live out their dreams. It is so painful to have my eldest son taken from me so soon, but I know I can spend the rest of my life knowing he died for a cause, knowing that he died a hero," Ella finished, she wiped her eyes and leant on Daniel for support as he helped her back to her seat.
Harry had asked Daphne if she wanted to speak at the funeral. He had assumed she would say no, but she had said yes, much to his surprise. She was the third person to take the stage, and despite the tear tracks on her face, she looked quite calm and composed.
"Tracey was my best friend," Daphne began. She looked at a spot at the back of the hall and continued.
"We were like sisters. Our mothers went to school together, and I can remember spending weekends with her from the age of five," she began to break apart a little, "Through every struggle, she was there for me, and I was there for her, and nobody has ever known me inside out like Tracey did. Losing her feels like I'm losing a part of myself, and I know I'll miss her every day for the rest of my life."
Daphne didn't cry until she collapsed into her seat next to Harry at the front of the hall. She let him hug her as she whispered, "I needed to do that; I needed to do it to accept that she's really gone."
"I understand," Harry whispered back as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her and kissed her forehead as Seamus took to the stage to talk about his best friend. He was the final speaker, which meant that soon it would be time to carry the coffins into the grounds.
Harry was surprised to see that Seamus was in tears, they hadn't been as close as they used to be since Seamus has left Hogwarts, but despite that Dean had been his best friend for years, "Dean was my closest friend," Seamus said as he wiped his eyes, "He was one of the first people who got to know me instead of writing me off as an idiot because I'm Irish. He was there for me through every tantrum, and he stuck by me in every fight. I loved him like a brother, and I fought with him on so many occasions. I'm just sorry that I couldn't have fought with him this last time."
The speech had moved Harry and Neville to tears. It had been very profound and honest, although Harry couldn't dwell on it for long as the lids were placed on the coffins and the pallbearers were called forward to transport the coffins to the graveyards.
Dean's mother had chosen his pallbearers, and they were his stepfather, step-brother, Seamus and Neville.
Tracey's brothers had chosen her pallbearers, and as a result, they were Icarus, Daedalus, Daphne and Sadie.
The two groups of people walked through the centre of the hall, Dean's coffin was at the front, and Tracey's was behind it. The large crowd followed them out into the snowy grounds, where they had to slow down in case they slipped on the ice. The funeral procession walked towards the graveyard by the lake with their heads down; the air was so cold that their tears felt like they were turning into icicles.
They reached the iron-wrought gates with the words "Victory" emblazoned above them and led the coffins to a spot at the front of the graveyard where two graves had already been dug that morning by Hagrid. In just a few hours, a fair amount of snow had accumulated in the graves.
The coffins were placed above the graves, where they hovered for a moment before slowly descending into the ground. The eighth years stood at the front of the crowd inside the graveyard while the others watched from behind the metal fence.
Icarus and Daedalus each took a handful of dirt and dropped it onto Tracey's coffin, where it mixed with the snow, which was now falling heavier than ever before. Similarly, Dean's parents and siblings each threw a handful of dirt into the ground. Then Harry (who McGonagall had specifically asked to do this) did the honours and used magic to move the mound of earth next to each of the graves into the graves themselves. The earth filled the graves in and covered both of the coffins.
The crowd dispersed until only Daphne and Harry were left in the graveyard. Daphne was on her knees in the snow and the dirt. Her dress got wetter and dirtier as she cried over Tracey's gravestone, which read,
Tracey Davis
Daughter, sister, loving partner and friend.
April 26th 1980 – February 14th 1999.
A free spirit.
"Daphne," Harry said gently as he too fell to his knees next to his girlfriend, "You've got to see the light in this. Trust me; I know how hard it is to lose someone you love. When I lost Sirius, I didn't know how I would live again, but life went on, and it got better. It's horrible, and we all miss them, but this has made us realise how much we love each other and how much we don't want to lose each other. It's made us all stronger, Daphne."
"I guess you're just used to it," Daphne sobbed. She didn't mean it offensively, "You've lost a lot of people you love. Before Tracey, I'd only lost my Dad."
"I know," Harry said quietly, "But losing someone never gets easier, no matter how many times you've had to deal with it."
Daphne nodded and looked back to Tracey's gravestone. She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat, "I just feel sick all of the time, Harry," she said as fresh tears burned in her eyes, "I feel so guilty because she saved me, and I couldn't do the same for her. I failed her, Harry, I failed her."
Daphne broke down into tears, and Harry pulled her to her feet, "Come on," he murmured softly as they made their way back to the castle.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
The eighth-year common room was just as depressing as the rest of the school that night. People were moping around miserably; they spent their evening crying into bottles of butterbeer
"Theo," Harry muttered as he sat down next to him by the fire.
Theo looked up, "Yeah?"
Harry lowered his voice, "What did Daphne mean when she said that she had failed Tracey because she couldn't save her? Daphne said Tracey had saved her."
"She did," Theo sighed, he rubbed his eyes, "I uh…I don't mean to be disrespectful, Harry, but do you have any idea how hard things were for us during the war?"
Harry shook his head. "None of you talk about it much."
"There's a reason for that," Theo remarked, "It was fucking awful. We were tortured and imprisoned; we lived in constant fear of the Carrows. I spent a month in the Dark Tower, they starved me, and when I got out, I died. Tracey was our Ginny; she brought me back. I wouldn't be sitting here without here, and neither would Draco or Sadie."
Harry's eyes widened, "I…I'm sorry, Theo, I didn't know that."
Theo shrugged, "Almost all of us were captured at one point. By the time they got Daphne, they had realised that physical torture just wasn't cutting it, so they tried a new tactic, psychological torture."
Harry's eyes darkened when Theo asked, "Have you heard of a nightmare curse?"
"I thought they were a myth," Harry whispered.
"So did we, until Daphne got hit with one," Theo said honestly, "She was trapped inside her own head, in her worst nightmare. The terrifying thing about a nightmare curse is that it becomes real. Daphne forgot about her real life and thought that what was happening in her head was real. She was alive and physically unhurt, but nothing could wake her up because she was trapped in her own head. We were faced with the choice of letting her body decay or keeping her alive, only to keep her in a living hell."
"Good Godric," Harry breathed, "I can't imagine having to make a choice like that."
Theo sighed, "The only way for Daphne to wake up was for her to overcome her fear. The trouble was, the longer she was in that nightmare world, the more the curse got a grip on her."
"Like a parasite," Harry said quietly.
Theo nodded, "Yeah, exactly like a parasite. We all tried to talk to her to break through the curse, but none of us could."
"Not even Draco?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Not even Draco," Theo agreed, "The only person who could get through to her is now dead."
"What did Tracey do?" Harry asked curiously.
"She spoke to her," Theo said honestly, "She knew exactly what was going on in Daphne's head because she knew her inside out; she knew what her worst nightmare was. So Tracey told her how to beat it, and Daphne fought it. She woke up thanks to Tracey."
"Shit," Harry sighed heavily, "I get it."
"You see why she's so depressed now?" Theo asked.
Harry nodded, "They were closer than I realised."
"They were like sisters," Theo said honestly, "Draco and I used to call them that actually, the twisted sisters."
Harry smiled sadly, "This is killing her, the guilt and the pain…I know exactly how that feels."
Theo clapped him on the shoulder and said, "That's good; that's why you'll be able to get her through this."
Before Harry could say anything else, Theo got to his feet and jumped onto a table.
"Tracey and Dean wouldn't have wanted us all to be miserable! I'm not saying we should go crazy here and have a massive party, but I am saying we need to lighten up a little and have a bit of fun. Tracey loved fun more than anyone else; she wouldn't want you all to be sitting around crying!"
His impassioned speech did lighten the air. There was some laughter at least and more talking. There was far less silence for a good while, but it couldn't last forever; it couldn't even last long, in fact.
Seamus and Ron were back in the common room because of the funeral, and while Ron was sitting with Lilly causing no trouble at all, that was not the case with Seamus. He had been sitting in the corner of the room, not talking to anyone, he had started with a full bottle of firewhiskey, and that was practically empty when he made his way over to Harry, who was sitting on the armchair by the fire with Daphne curled up in his lap. She was half-asleep, and he was stroking her hair in an attempt to keep her that way.
"Oi Potter, I want a word with you," Seamus said darkly and loudly. It was clear that he was drunk, but he wasn't slurring his words.
Harry sighed as Daphne's eyes opened with a start, "Alright," he muttered as he kissed her on the forehead and stood up. Several sets of eyes followed him when he left the common room with Seamus.
The second the door shut, two things happened; the Marauders and Lily moved forward eagerly in their portrait to find out what was happening, and Seamus started to shout and swear so loudly that the common room went silent to listen to what was being said outside.
"It's your fucking fault Dean's dead! If it weren't for you, then he would never have gotten involved with those fucking Slytherins. Just cause the wars over doesn't mean that they're all bloody saints! Malfoy still used a killing curse, and now they're infecting all of you, the Harry Potter I knew would never have used a killing curse to save Draco Malfoy! See what they are doing to you? You've got to cut ties with them, Harry!"
Harry should have seen this coming, really, and when Seamus put it that way, he wondered if being friends with the Slytherins was changing them for the worse. Things had been different lately but was there any way to prove it was the Slytherins or the after-effects of the war?
"Seamus, I understand why you're worried," Harry said truthfully, "And I know things have changed, but it's not for the reasons you think. Things have changed because we're still in some way recovering from the war, not because of Draco or Theo or any of the Slytherins. The Harry Potter you knew wouldn't have used a killing curse to save Draco Malfoy; that's true. But I did use it to save Draco Black because he's a different person."
"Of course you'd say that," Seamus said bitterly.
"You're more loyal to your girlfriend than anyone who's actually in your house, apart from Hermione, your friend with benefits," he laughed nastily, and that was the final straw as far as Harry's patience was concerned.
He pulled out his wand, but he didn't have time to use it as Seamus resorted to Muggle violence and flung out his fist. There was a loud crack as it connected with Harry's nose and the blood began to spurt out.
"Fuck!" Harry cursed loudly as Seamus stormed down the stairs back into the main school. Harry hissed in pain before he managed to stumble back into the common room.
"Harry, what happened?" Draco asked when he saw his friend.
"He broke my nose!" Harry shouted; his voice was muffled from the pain and the blood in his mouth.
There was a snort behind them that came from Ron, "I know you always looked up to Dumbledore, mate, but don't you think getting a broken nose after a funeral is taking that a bit too literally?"
Harry managed the smallest smile at his best friend's jibe, "Shut up, Ron," he said weakly as Hermione pulled him onto the sofa and began to fix him up.
The next day wasn't easy as everyone was forced to accept that Dean and Tracey were gone. Hannah was isolating herself more and more from the group, and by taking her side in the 'civil war,' Lilly was doing the same. They were sitting at opposite ends of the eighth year table on the Monday morning in which family planning week was supposed to start. However, it had been put back by yet another week, and their already shitty day was made worse when Hermione gasped out loud while reading her copy of the morning's prophet.
"This is ridiculous!" Hermione shrieked, "Has anyone seen this?"
They all shook their heads.
"No, what's wrong?" Sadie asked as she tried to look at the front page. She caught a glimpse of a large photo of Dean. Hermione shook her head angrily; her hair bounced as she did so. Lately, her glamour charms hadn't been up to standard, so her hair was frizzier than usual.
"This article in the prophet about," Hermione's voice caught, but she composed herself, "…About Dean and Tracey."
It was like a dark cloud had fallen over the group. Hermione and Daphne had recovered physically, but the scars would remain. For Daphne, it was slightly easier because she could hide hers unless she was in underwear or a bikini. Hermione hadn't been that lucky; the scars inflicted by the torture in the cave covered more of her body. They were on her back and the tops of her legs.
The big battle over the last week for not only the girls but the entire group was the emotional one, and although it had been slow, there had been progress. Harry had a horrible feeling that this article was going to change that.
"Dean Thomas, Gryffindor war hero and great friend of Harry Potter, was murdered tragically along with his girlfriend Tracey on Valentine's Day. The death of this young man and his young girlfriend shakes the wizarding world who thought they were finally safe.
Death Eaters, followers of the late Lord Voldemort, were responsible for these deaths, and it only shows that the danger has not yet passed. Dean had so much more to give to the world; he was a keen artist and could have made a fantastic career in the art of portrait enchanting. Our source at Hogwarts School has told us that Harry Potter is grieving his close friend's death, with whom he shared a dorm throughout his years at the school. Our prayers are with his family. Remember, readers; do not let your guard down; the war may be over, but the battle rages on."
Hermione was shaking with anger as she threw the paper down onto the table, "His girlfriend Tracey!" she shouted. Her bottom lip wobbled as it did when she was trying not to cry.
"They didn't even mention her second name!" Daphne hissed angrily.
Harry nodded so hard he hurt his neck, "They can't just pretend she doesn't exist because she wasn't a Gryffindor. They can't do that!"
"Apparently, they can!" Draco said loudly.
"Well, they aren't getting away with it," Harry growled.
"They can't just omit her death because it doesn't fit their tragic war hero storyline, and they can't just not mention Umbridge's involvement because the Ministry's propaganda department has paid them off!"
"We're going down to the Prophet to deal with this ourselves," Neville added. He sometimes wondered if he and Harry could read each other's minds.
"Exactly!" Harry said assertively.
Draco and Theo nodded, "We're coming too," Theo said. He spoke for both of them because he knew Draco well enough to predict his next move 99% of the time.
"I can't see what I can do," Hermione said honestly.
Daphne sighed, "I think this one time, it might be best to leave it to the boys."
"Well," Draco reasoned, "Together, we are pretty much the heads of the four biggest, most influential families of our generation."
Susan laughed weakly, "And the four cockiest guys at Hogwarts."
Theo smiled slightly, "Thank you, thank you very much," he said.
"So Draco speaking of your influential family, what are you really? Black or Malfoy?" Susan asked curiously, she had heard him being called both recently, "Lots of people still call you Malfoy, but some call you Black."
Draco shrugged as he replied, "It's a personal preference, to be honest. My name is technically Draco Abraxas Malfoy Black, so I guess it's Black officially, but most people still call me Malfoy."
"You're always gonna be Malfoy to me when I'm pissed off with you," Harry teased, "Just to relive the old days, you know?"
Daphne smiled, "I remember that," she said, "When you used to insult each other in corridors, and it was always a battle of who was better than the other."
"Ah," Harry sighed sentimentally, "Those were the days."
Hermione managed to laugh too; the conversation had taken an amusing turn, "I remember it too… and the times when you couldn't see me without insulting me."
"Except in sixth year," Draco said truthfully, "You got so pretty over the summer I couldn't think of anything to insult you about."
The girls all around the table said 'aww' while Theo, Harry and Neville all pretended to puke up over their breakfast.
The joking and laughter was so refreshing, but unfortunately, it didn't last long as McGonagall approached the group of eighth years with a solemn face.
"Potter, Malfoy, Bones," she said quietly, and their hearts felt like they would beat out of their chests as they realised what this was about, "The Minister for Magic would like to talk to you in my office after breakfast."
She didn't elaborate as she left the hall, and the three of them shared worried looks. Sadie gave them an encouraging smile, "Don't worry, you won't get in trouble. You defended yourselves; he would never be able to expel you for that."
"I hope you're right, Sadie," Harry sighed as he got to his feet and waited for Draco and Susan to join him.
"Ready to face the music?" Harry asked Susan who understood the Muggle phrase more than Draco did.
She nodded, and Harry put his arm through hers, Draco did the same from the other side, and together they made their way to the Headmistress's office.
When they arrived in McGonagall's office and silently took their seats, their worried state increased as they saw Kingsley standing by the desk with a solemn face.
"I'm sorry to do this again," Kingsley said honestly. McGonagall was glaring at him, which wasn't a good sign, "But the Ministry is pressing me to take action in some way. Harry, I am happy to pardon you and Susan with a formal warning because of your contribution to the war. However, I am afraid Mr Malfoy will have to go on trial."
"No way!" Harry said instantly; he was on his feet already.
From where she stood at the other side of her desk McGonagall gave Harry a small smile and said proudly, "You see, Minister, I told you Mr Potter would not agree to the arrangement."
"You can do this one of two ways, Kingsley," Harry said from where he was standing on the opposite side of the desk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dumbledore smile and wink at him from his portrait on the wall, "You can try all of us equally with a court hearing, or you can pardon us all."
Kingsley may have been the Minister for Magic, but that didn't stop him from being intimidated by the boy who lived. He didn't do it often, but Harry knew how to abuse his power and status. He only did it for the greater good.
"Harry has a point, Kingsley," Dumbledore said kindly as he smiled from his portrait, "And if you pardon all three of the students, you may also get back on Minerva's good side."
Harry hid a smile as he saw Kingsley mull this over, and McGonagall glare at Dumbledore's portrait, "There is too much pressure on me from the Ministry for a full pardon. This job is not what I thought it would be. I do not call the shots, I must do what the Wizengamot want, and at the moment, the Wizengamot is both corrupt and biased. I have to be seen to be taking some action which means I will have to fine you 200 Galleons each."
This didn't particularly faze Harry, Draco or Susan. They were all from pureblooded families; they all had money like that available to them.
"Do you want the money now or later?" Draco asked casually. McGonagall had to fight to hide her smile. This punishment wasn't a punishment at all, especially to two people as wealthy as Harry and Draco.
Kingsley looked startled at how they had taken this but replied, "Uh, now would be great," he said.
Harry clicked his fingers, and Kreacher appeared next to him a second later, "Hey Kreacher can you fetch 200 galleons from my account and another 200 from Draco's and bring them here, please?"
"Straight away, Master Harry," Kreacher squeaked as he disappeared with another crack. Susan conjured up her own elf and said something similar before it apparated away with a crack.
"You have become a good man Harry," Dumbledore said with a watery smile.
Harry was surprised by the comment, "Thanks, professor, but I fail to see how getting fined for using the killing curse proves that."
"Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good," Dumbledore said cryptically.
"Did you know Dumbledore?" Said a very familiar voice, "That Potter admires you?"
Dumbledore turned to the man who had just appeared next to him in his portrait. Severus Snape had been given a portrait next to Dumbledore's in the office, and he had just waltzed into Dumbledore's frame, "Is that right, Severus?"
"Indeed," Severus said smoothly, "He worships you to the extent that he even got his nose broken at a funeral."
Dumbledore chuckled, and Harry glared at Severus, "I don't know how you found out about that and technically, it was after a funeral," he pointed out.
This only made Dumbledore laugh some more, "I see, however, that you allowed Madam Pomfrey to fix yours up."
"Hermione fixed it, but yes, I am quite fond of my nose Professor," Harry said to the old man who chuckled once more, "Ah, of course, what a fine nose it is."
At that point, Kreacher reappeared along with Susan's house-elf. They handed Harry, Draco and Susan their money which they then gave straight to Kingsley. He still looked a little baffled and slightly exasperated as he wrote them receipts.
"Our debts are paid in full then Kingsley?" Harry asked the Minister.
Kingsley nodded, "They are indeed."
"And our scores are settled?" Harry asked. He didn't want his friendship with Kingsley to be tampered with by the events; he had already lost so much in such a short amount of time.
"Of course," Kingsley said, "I apologise for what you lost because of your desire to bring about change at the Ministry, but I hope you can see why I am reluctant to push forward big changes. I have two daughters, Harry; I do not want to lose them because of my political decisions."
"I understand," Harry said honestly. He did understand that probably better than Kingsley knew.
The Minister bowed his head, "I look forward to the day when you join us. I think we will only begin to see real change then, and I also look forward to seeing both you and Mr Malfoy at the annual Ministry fundraiser in April."
"Is our compulsory attendance part of our punishment?" Draco asked jokingly.
Kingsley laughed, "Yes, I suppose so; they do tend to be rather dry affairs. However, I believe this year will be different."
"I think you're right," Harry said with a smile, "Well if our business here is finished, we had better be off. We're missing Potions, and I've always wanted to know how to brew a slug swelling potion..."
"Ah, always keen to learn," Kingsley joked, "Yes, you are free to leave."
"Thank you," Draco said with a smile, "And I think you have some business of your own to attend to."
Kingsley chuckled as he glanced at McGonagall, who was standing rather stiffly in the corner, "Indeed," he said a little darkly as Harry, Draco and Susan left the office.
The last thing they heard on their way down the staircase was Kingsley's deep booming voice asking, "Am I out of the danger zone yet, or should I prepare my shield charm?"
* ~ TBC ~ *