Quite the year

A lot of things were then happening. I realised I was not dying and Fawkes was not crying about me dying: its tears were healing me. Ink streams out of the diary. Riddle screams and starts disappearing and Ginny at the other side of the room begins to stir and wakes up.

Vin reaches her first. Ginny looks incredibly upset. She's crying. "Vin, I'm so sorry. I did not mean to do it. I tried to fight him. I did not want to do all those horrible things. And now I am going to be expelled from Hogwarts and everyone will be disappointed and will hate me." She hiccuped. Vin gently hugged her. He looked uncomfortable. "You must all hate me too. And I feel so stupid. I really wanted do well, being my first year at Hogwarts and all, make my parents proud and now.."

I then gently take her from Vin's arms. Giving her a hug as well. I try to muster as much confidence in my voice as I can. "You won't be expelled. You just made a mistake. Like you said, you tried to fight, Tom." It seems to calm her down a bit, so I continue. "Nothings wrong with keeping a diary. The rest is not your fault. You should have never had that book in your possession and a lot older and wiser wizards have been tricked by Voldemort." I loosely hold her in my arms and not much is said.

"I am glad you are alright, Ginny," Potter adds. "We should go back. Everyone will be worried."

We walk back to the pipe, where Fawkes flies us up into the bathroom. Myrtle looked astonished when we came out and floated toward Potter. "You came out alive. You know, if you died we could have shared a toilet together," she murmured, looking a bit upset at the prospect of Potter being alive. I snorted, but luckily she did not seem to notice, or ignored me.

"Wait," Potter then interrupts, "Where are we heading?"

I look at him, like it should have been obvious. "Professor Snape's office, Potter," I reply.

Potter looks highly uncomfortable. "Can't we go to Professor McGonagall? Snape hates me."

I feel annoyed. I know Severus can be incredibly unfair, but he was my godfather and my head of house. Yes, we definitely had to go to professor Snape. "Potter, we just fought a basilisk. Don't tell me you are afraid of professor Snape," I say chiding.

He snorts, then copying my chiding voice. "Draco, we just fought a basilisk together. I think you can call me Harry now."

We then arrive covered in grime at Professor Snape's office. Before I open the door I catch Ginny's eye and give her a small smile. Severus seems to have conjured up a few extra chairs. Mr and Mrs Weasley throw their arms around Ginny. I then felt my mother wrap her arms around me. I looked at Potter, who stood in the doorway looking slightly disheartened. He caught my eyes and looked away. Vin walked up to the table, where he put down the diary and the basilisk tooth.

Mother then stepped back, letting go of me, her worried eyes not leaving me yet. With a quick spell she cleans my clothes. Afterwards, she repeats the spells on the others. I walked up to the table as well and then put down the sword I was still carrying. Then Harry as last put down the sorting hat and gave Fawkes back to Dumbledore.

I've never seen so many people in Severus office. He must have conjured up some chairs. Ginny's brothers and parents are here, as well as my and Vin's parents.

Then Potter- or no Harry, started explaining what had happened. How I had stunned him, before I had kidnapped him into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. How I told him the monster was a basilisk. How we found the chamber of secrets. He explained about the diary, about Tom Riddle, about Voldemort, Fawkes and the basilisk.

Ginny confessed writing in the diary all year. Mr. Weasley asks her, "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain"

Everyone was silent, when Harry was done talking. Severus then looked annoyed at me. "Mister Malfoy, please tell me what possessed you into thinking that you were able to battle a basilisk along with two students?"

I immediately felt embarrassed. "I.. I, well.."

Severus was not done. "Did you think that perhaps that three students were more adequate to deal with a basilisk and the heir of Slytherin than a teacher?"

I felt anger flaring up. "Yes," I blurted out, "How could you give Lockhart the responsibility of trying to save Ginny's life. He is an idiot. He probably can't even tie his own shoe."

Severus only looked more annoyed. "Do you think I cannot estimate exactly how incapable Lockhart is? Do you think he holds an ounce of my respect, mister Malfoy?"

Now I feel stupid again. "No, sir."

Then Dumbledore interrupts. "Severus, I think that is enough. Let us just be thankful that these three brave students have made it out as well as they did and have succeeded in saving miss Weasley. They have proven a great service to the school."

Severus looks sourly at Dumbledore. "At least, mister Malfoy, you have been able to recognise how utterly useless Lockhart is after following his lessons for this past school year," He pauses, then looks at Ron, Fred and George, "apparently some are so thick-headed that they have failed to take notice." Ginny's mother looks furiously at her sons. Well, that definitely was a story I'd like to hear.

Then Dumbledore interrupts again. "Please Severus, this is most unnecessary. Our misters Weasley merely tried to aid professor Lockhart by informing him of some suspicions they had and were of course disgusted by the image of seeing him pack his suitcase to leave. The accident in which he used Ron's broken wand and lost his own memory is rather unfortunate."

Severus looks incredulous at Dumbledore. "At least something good came out of it." I couldn't help but agree with Severus.

Dumbledore then continues as if Severus had said nothing. "What I would like to know is the parts of the story that mister Potter could not supply. Mister Malfoy maybe you could enlighten us to the missing pieces of the story."

His blue eyes are twinkling and looking straight at me. "Of course, Professor," I say politely. I then tell him about visiting Hermione and finding out the monster was a basilisk. Trying to inform the teachers and then overhearing the teachers. I tell him about disarming Riddle and about the sword I pulled out of the old sorting hat.

Then Dumbledore sends Ginny off to the hospital, the Weasleys all go with her. Vin's parents stand up, pat Vin on the back and leave. Potter, Vince, my parents, professor Snape and Dumbledore are still in the room.

Dumbledore is looking very amused. "Well mister Malfoy, it would seem you have some strong Gryffindor traits. After all, Godric Gryffindor would not let just anyone pull his sword into battle."

My father, who till now had stood with a sour look in a corner of Severus office, seethingly says, "My son does not have any Gryffindor traits. And I demand to know why you have come back to Hogwarts."

Dumbledore seems very calm. "The other eleven governors contacted me today. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too…Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place" I stared very hard at my shoes. My mother was soothingly going with her hands through my hairs. At least the Weasleys did not see this. "We are very lucky that your son, Harry and Vince have found this diary," Dumbledore adds, holding it up. "Else, dear miss Weasley might have taken all the blame herself. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and killing Muggle-borns." Looking at Dobby signalling at Harry I then realise what must have happened at Flourish and Blotts at the beginning at the year. The diary was familiar because I had seen it before. And not just someplace, at the manor. My father was the culprit.

Father then angrily storms away. Harry shoots me a wary, apologising look, then turns to professor Dumbledore. "May I give Malfoy senior the diary back?" Professor Dumbledore nods and Harry quickly runs after my father.

Then Dumbledore kindly looks at me. "Mister Malfoy, if I may ask, might there be anything bothering you?"

A lot of things shot through my head. Mostly my father. How he'd paid my way on the team. How he was as cruel as to give Ginny that diary. How I had just wanted him to tell me how brave I was and that he was glad I was alright. I clear my throat. "Will Ginny be alright?"

"Miss Weasley has just been through a very difficult situation," he gravely replies. "It will leave a mark. She'll need family and good friends."

He looks again at me, inquiringly. "Is there anything else bothering you, mister Malfoy?"

I think of Hermione. "No, nothing, sir," I reply.

Dumbledore nods. "Well then. You must feel relieved to hear that tonight our attacked students will receive the potions made from the mandrakes and will join us at dinner. You know, mister Malfoy, I think all this merits a good feast." He then turns towards professor Snape. "You'll handle it from here. I will alert the house elves."

Severus dismisses Vince.

I look hesitantly at Severus. He no longer looks angry. He gives me a stiff hug. "Try not to take care of your life so foolishly again," he adds stiffly. "I do care, Draco and I gladly would have helped. Do not forget that."

I nod. Mother is still looking at me. "I was so worried," she blurted out. "You better not put me through that again. You endangered Vince and Harry too, Draco."

I felt abashed. "I did not mean to."

Mother's gaze softened. "I know," Narcissa said. "Things have consequences. You should still learn that. Just go to Severus next time." I nod.

Mother then starts crying. "Mum," I say, "Don't worry. I'll go to Severus next time. I won't put myself in danger. It was stupid." Still, it did not feel stupid what I did. I might even do it again, if I needed to.

Mother smiles. "I'm proud of what you've done. It is Lucius. He loves me. He loves you dearly. He is proud of you most of the time. But he keeps doing horrible things." She looks regretfully. "I do love your father."

I suddenly feel really upset. "I know, mum."

She smiles sadly at me. "Lucius put you in danger. You almost died because of that diary. You almost died because of his petty fight with Arthur Weasley."

"What are you telling me, mum?"

"I don't know," Mother sighs, "I love you Draco, you know that?" I feel my heart drop. "Of course." She hugs me and then floos back home, at least I think she did.

The feast that night was great. Pansy it seemed had been terribly worried and was glad to spend the feast laughing and talking.

Train ride back

Normally I'd spend the train ride back with Pansy along with Vin and Greg. Now together with Ginny, Vin and Greg, we were looking across the Hogwarts Express. I nodded at Potter- no Harry respectfully and opened the door. Inside were Hermione and Ron as well.

An awkward silent ensued. "So Potter- no Harry, excited to go home for the summer," I ask. No one really said anything.

Vin then interrupted. "Good to see your no longer petrified, Hermione."

Hermione smiles back at Vin. "Thanks for visiting me when I was petrified, Vince," she then hesitantly adds, "You as well, Draco."

I feel uncomfortable. "I.. well.. You're welcome," I reply then I turn to Ginny, Vin and Greg, "We should find Pansy. She'll kill me if we do not ride back with her." I look back into the compartment. "Have a nice summer."

We then walk away and spend the rest of the train ride with Pansy. Ginny sits next to Vin, who has an arm around her shoulder. Ginny is silent, but seems a lot more at ease than I have ever seen her. Pansy is excitedly talking about her summer plans.

"So we are going to spend halve of the summer together in south Portugal, together Draco. Your mother invited us. Is it not exciting?"

I slowly nod. I feel surprised. Normally mother would have told me something like this, it must have been a last minute decision.

Pansy excitedly chatters on. ".. Why did you not tell me before your mother was planning that?" But she does not seem to expect an answer, since she keeps on talking.