Chapter Ninety-One - Veritaserum
The Weasley boys had taken up residence in Sirius's old bedroom. His teenage counterpart had learned only one trick from his mother, and the various posters adorning the walls were permanently affixed. Harry glanced at the bits of Gryffindor memorabilia scattered among the décor with a pang of regret. He no longer had any doubts about his sorting. He'd met his two closest friends in Slytherin, after all. But a part of him wondered if Sirius ever wished he'd been sorted into Gryffindor, like his father and mother before him.
He was not the only one experiencing discomfort in their current surroundings. Although Ron, Fred, and George had seated themselves upon their beds, Draco remained standing in the center of the room, his arms crossed over his chest as he too gazed about the room.
"So…" he said after some time, "What's the Order of the Phoenix?"
"Should we tell him?" Blaise asked when no one else spoke. Like Harry, Blaise and Millie lingered in the doorway, as if unwilling to fully commit themselves to the party of Gryffindors. Still, Draco's presence was a novelty that their curiosity could not deny.
Harry realized they were all staring at him, awaiting his permission. He tried to ignore the uncomfortable tightness in his stomach as he weighed their options. Sirius had welcomed Draco himself, he reasoned. It must be safe enough to admit why they were all in one place.
"It's a secret group organized by Dumbledore to fight Voldemort," Harry summarized succinctly, "This is the headquarters."
Harry might have drawn some satisfaction from the way Draco flinched as he used Lord Voldemort's name, had not Ron and his brothers jumped in alarm, as well. Harry refrained from following his eyes but he thought that weeks under the roof of Grimmauld Place would have inured them to it by now.
"Fine," said Draco after taking a moment to recover, "And how exactly does this Order plan to fight Lord… To fight the Dark Lord?"
Draco's father was a Death Eater, and his question was a natural one. He had to be curious to know if Dumbledore planned to capture and imprison Mr. Malfoy. But such sound reasoning had no part of play in the sudden anger Harry felt rise within him.
"It's none of your business," he snapped, "You're only here so we can keep an eye on you. You're not in the Order."
"Are you?" Draco asked without malice. Harry's rudeness seemed to have little impact on him. He was merely curious to know what Harry's role in the Order was, but Harry pointedly ignored the question.
In truth, none of the young people had been admitted to the Order's meetings. They often saw its members come and go. Characters like Mundungus Fletcher, Hestia Jones, and once even Professor McGonagall were regularly seen flitting up and down the hall. But they could only catch snatches of conversation, overheard in passing. Once the twins introduced their Extendable Ears, eavesdropping became much easier, but sadly Mrs. Weasley soon caught on to their scheme. The adult members of the Order had since adopted the habit of charming doorways prior to their meetings, preventing any sound from escaping.
Draco's question had struck the very core of Harry's bottled anger. He resented not being allowed to take part in the meetings. He had been the one to see Voldemort return. He had fought him and escaped, only to watch one of his followers kill Professor Moody. Out of everyone, he deserved to know what they were planning to do about it. But he had barely mentioned his feelings to Blaise and Millie. He certainly was not going to share his frustrations with Draco Malfoy.
The sound of footsteps ascending to the second floor interrupted their conversation. Turning, Harry saw the familiar face of Kingsley Shacklebolt, followed by Mrs. Zabini, Mrs. Malfoy, and Remus.
Kingsley was one of Mrs. Zabini's recruits to the Order. He was an Auror for the Ministry of Magic and a former associate of Professor Moody. He had quickly become a favorite among the young Slytherins, not only for his calm, cool demeanor but because he always made a point to stop and say hello whenever he came to visit. He never told them anything useful, as he was perhaps the most secretive of any inducted member of the Order, but they appreciated the friendly gesture all the same. It was better than Emmeline Vance or Sturgis Podmore, who always seemed to be in a rush, and never glanced in the direction of the young people.
Though they were used to exchanging chat with Kingsley, it was still a surprise to see him in that part of the house. He smiled in his easy way to Harry, Blaise and Millie, who stepped aside, allowing him passage into the room with the Weasleys. Harry tried not to stare at Mrs. Malfoy, but he was eager to see how she presented herself before the Order. She seemed less composed than usual. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen. Her pointed nose was red. Her white-blond hair, usually smooth and straight, was disheveled, as if she had been running her hands through it.
Draco was also looking toward his mother with wide, wild eyes as Kingsley stepped toward him. With a wave of his wand, the Auror conjured a couple of chairs and invited Draco to sit down. Harry noted that Kingsley was holding a small glass vial of a clear liquid in his hand.
He glanced quickly at Mrs. Zabini and Remus, expecting at any moment to be banished to his room like he had been barred from so many meetings. But none of the adults said a word. Mrs. Zabini placed her arm around Mrs. Malfoy's shoulder and kept her eyes on Draco. Remus's attention was fixed on Kingsley, his lips set in a hard line. Harry, his heartbeat quickening with excitement for what was to come, turned back to observe Draco.
"Do you know what this is?" Kingsley asked in his deep, soothing voice. He held up the vial for Draco to see clearly.
Draco shook his head, seeming terrified. His eyes kept darting from Kingsley to his mother, who remained silent.
"This is Veritaserum," Kingsley explained patiently, "It is a potion that will encourage you to be honest with us. It will make you feel more comfortable. It is tasteless and harmless. I would like you to take it, and answer a few questions for us."
"W-Why do I need to take it?" Draco asked in a shaking voice, his gaze now fixed on his mother, "Can't I… Can't I just talk? I promise I won't lie."
"It's just a precaution," Kingsley said in the same gentle tone as before, "Your mother is here to make sure we don't go too far for your comfort."
Mrs. Malfoy took the cue, and nodded her head. Licking her dry, chapped lips, she said in a tone of forced calm, "It's alright, Draco. Just do what they want. Everything will be fine."
Harry kept waiting for the order to leave the room, but it never came. He watched as Draco wordlessly took the vial from Kingsley's hand, and raised it to his lips. The container was small, only capable of holding a few drops of liquid. Soon it had all passed into Draco's mouth. Almost immediately, a dreamy, faraway look suffused Draco's features.
"Is your name Draco Malfoy?" Kingsley began.
"Yes," Draco said, his voice clear, yet very soft.
"And is this woman your mother, Narcissa Malfoy?" Kingsley asked, pointing to Mrs. Malfoy.
"Yes, she is my mother," Draco said, a gentle smile now lifting the corners of his mouth.
"And how did the two of you come to be here?"
"We went to see Blaise's mother… Mrs. Zabini. Then Professor Lupin arrived. He told us to come with him. That we would be safe here."
"Safe? Safe from who?"
"From… from my father," Draco replied, the smile vanishing from his face. His brows drew downward, and for a horrifying moment Harry thought he was going to burst into tears. But Draco remained calm, though his soft, dreamy voice took on a note of pathos as he continued, "My father is a Death Eater. He serves the Dark Lord. He came to our home…"
"Who came to your home, Draco?"
"Him. The Dark Lord. I saw him."
"You saw him? What did he look like?"
Draco shuddered. "Horrible… Like a snake turned human. He didn't have a nose, just two slits for nostrils. And his eyes… They were red… With pupils like a cat's… I hated looking at him. I went to my room… I hid there until he was gone."
"Draco, did he see you?"
Draco shuddered again, more violently this time, but he shook his head. "I don't think so. He must have known I was there but… He didn't look at me. My Aunt Bella… She was with him, too. She saw me standing at the top of the stairs. She laughed. She said something to my mother… I couldn't hear what she said."
Mrs. Malfoy uttered a sort of choking sob. Mrs. Zabini began rubbing her shoulders, trying to soothe her. Draco, under the influence of Veritaserum, didn't appear to notice his mother's distress. Likewise, Kingsley paid no mind to the slight interruption. His attention remained fixed on Draco, his calm exterior belied by the intensity of his focus.
"What happened after that?"
"After they were gone, my mother told me we had to leave. She said it was too dangerous for us to remain… That father had picked the wrong side."
"What does that mean? How had he picked the wrong side?"
"Because he still serves the Dark Lord," replied Draco, "She said we would go to Mrs. Zabini for help… Because she is Harry's guardian…"
Harry didn't know what he had suspected, but it wasn't this. Draco's story was exactly the same as the one he'd admitted in the kitchen earlier, but there was more detail in this retelling. He had certainly never mentioned anything about Harry in his mother's plans before.
"Isn't that enough?" asked Mrs. Malfoy in a strained voice, "He's told you everything he knows. I told you he wasn't there when the Dark Lord met with my husband."
Kingsley nodded, rising from his seat and patting Draco gently on one of his shoulders.
"Yes, I'm satisfied," he said, "I'll send a report to Dumbledore. I see no reason why the two of you wouldn't be permitted to stay. But I warn you, Narcissa, we cannot guarantee your protection if you leave these walls. You must remain here until a secure location can be obtained for you, or until we have He Who Must Not Be Named and his followers in our custody."
His job complete, Kingsley headed toward the door. Harry, Blaise, and Millie were right behind him. Leaving Remus to tend to the still dazed Draco, they hurried after Kingsley. The Aurora had stopped at the front door, taking an umbrella from a stand that had been crafted from a severed troll's foot. He smiled when he saw the three of them gathered at the foot of the stairs, staring at him with open curiosity.
"You're wondering why I allowed you to watch that interrogation just now," he said with complete accuracy.
"Yes," Harry confirmed, "Usually we're not allowed to see any business connected to the Order."
"Hm," Kingsley hummed thoughtfully, "But that wasn't about the Order. That was about helping someone in need."
"Come off it!" Blaise cried, "You wouldn't have used Veritaserum if you thought they could be trusted!"
"Dumbledore has already given his permission," Kingsley reminded them, "But if Draco is going to stay here with all of you, then you need to trust him, as well."
"You wanted us to know he was telling the truth," Harry said as realization hit him.
Kingsley smiled, "You have Remus to thank for that. I already had all the information I needed from Narcissa. Now then, if you'll excuse me."
He opened the front door to reveal a torrential downpour and stepped outside, the umbrella shielding his head. From within the silent walls of Grimmauld Place, Harry hadn't even known it was raining.