1 Chapter 12
Seated in room 305, Draco looked around the room. There were quite a few wizards and witches in here, some of them he didn't know. Of course, there were some he did know as well. He recognised Remus Lupin, who had been the defence against the dark arts teacher at Hogwarts in his third year, and he recognised Mad-Eye Moody, who was supposed to have been the defence against the dark arts teacher in the fourth year, but had been replaced by one of Voldemort's servants. He also noticed Dumbledore's head sitting in the fire, and of course there were the three young wizards he had come with. Professor McGonagall was also there, sitting with Professor Snape in the corner of the room. Draco noticed him giving the dark haired man sitting next to Lupin glares not unlike the ones usually directed at Harry during their potions lessons. He was just going to ask Harry, who he was sitting next to him, who the man was, when Professor McGonagall banged on the table next to her.
"Silence please!" she shouted. Everyone immediately stopped talking and looked at her. She gestured to Dumbledore, and all the heads in the room turned towards the fireplace.
"Thank you, Minerva. I'm sorry I couldn't be here in person, but as you know I can't leave Hogwarts. I'd like to start our meeting by introducing everyone, as I'm sure you don't all know each other." There were a few murmurs of agreement.
"Firstly," began Dumbledore, "I'm sure you all know me. The lady to my right is Minerva McGonagall." McGonagall gave one of her small, rare smiles.
"The gentleman sitting next to her is Severus Snape." Snape nodded.
"Over there we have Mundungus Fletcher and Arabella Figg." Both of them smiled nervously, looking around the room, and Arabella blushed when the dark haired man next to Lupin winked at her.
"The four young people sitting next to the window are Harry Potter, Christian de Neuvillette, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy." There were a few gasps at the word 'Malfoy,' and Draco thought he heard someone mutter 'Death Eater.' Obviously, Dumbledore heard it too and whipped his head around.
"I assure you, Mr Moody," Dumbledore said, slightly coldly, "He is perfectly safe." Draco smiled at Dumbledore in gratitude, and the old man winked back. Mad-Eye Moody stared at his feet.
"Lastly, the two men sitting by the bookcase are Remus Lupin and Sirius Black." Dumbledore was interrupted by an explosion of noise as a few of the people in the room shouted 'Sirius Black? Are you crazy?' and other such things. Then, to Draco's surprise, Harry stood up and banged on the desk. Everybody in the room turned to look at him, including Sirius who was looking slightly scared by all the people glaring at him.
"I'd just like to say," started Harry, his voice wavering slightly, "that Sirius is completely innocent of the crimes he was accused of. Hermione and I met Peter Pettigrew, the man he supposedly killed, in our third year, as did Professor Snape.." Harry paused to throw a dark look in Snape's direction, who squirmed uneasily in his chair. "I also met Peter at the end of my fourth year, when he had gone back to Voldemort." Harry sat down again, ignoring the few people who had automatically flinched at the use of the name and smiling at Sirius, who nodded gratefully.
"I think Mr Potter put that very well," broke in Dumbledore, "and I hope we won't have any silly prejudices about a man who is and always has been on our side." He cast a look over the room. "Now, down to business."
"Tomorrow morning, the first battle against the Death Eaters takes place. All of you have volunteered to be there, with the exception of Minerva, who will be coordinating the battle from here, and Severus, who will be acting as a Death Eater, trying to break up their side from inside. We will meet back here to apparate to the site. I am familiar with the fact that some of you can't yet apparate," he said, looking at Hermione who was opening and closing her mouth like a fish and wriggling on her chair, "and a Portkey will be provided for them and anyone else who does not wish to apparate." Draco looked worriedly at Harry, knowing of his fear of Portkeys ever since he had been taken to Voldemort by one at the end of his fourth year. He looked a little pale, but determined. Draco sighed. Tomorrow he was probably going to die, and he had never told Harry how he felt. Draco looked back up at Dumbledore.
"Now, any questions?" he was saying. When nobody replied, he carried on. "Very well then. Good luck." He nodded gravely, then disappeared with a pop. The people in the room got up quietly, looking very subdued. Harry went over to talk to Sirius and Remus, while Draco, Christian and Hermione walked out of the room, Hermione stalking off ahead. Christian caught Draco by the sleeve.
"Draco," he started uncertainly. Draco sighed.
"Yes?"
"Well, you know we're probably going to die tomorrow?" he looked up at Draco, who didn't reply. No point in upsetting him further, he thought. "Well, I'd like to send Harry one last owl, in case he doesn't die and I do. Could you write me just one more letter?" Christian looked so downcast that Draco couldn't refuse.
"Of course I will," he replied, smiling and putting a hand on Christian's arm. "What would you like it to say?"
Seated in room 305, Draco looked around the room. There were quite a few wizards and witches in here, some of them he didn't know. Of course, there were some he did know as well. He recognised Remus Lupin, who had been the defence against the dark arts teacher at Hogwarts in his third year, and he recognised Mad-Eye Moody, who was supposed to have been the defence against the dark arts teacher in the fourth year, but had been replaced by one of Voldemort's servants. He also noticed Dumbledore's head sitting in the fire, and of course there were the three young wizards he had come with. Professor McGonagall was also there, sitting with Professor Snape in the corner of the room. Draco noticed him giving the dark haired man sitting next to Lupin glares not unlike the ones usually directed at Harry during their potions lessons. He was just going to ask Harry, who he was sitting next to him, who the man was, when Professor McGonagall banged on the table next to her.
"Silence please!" she shouted. Everyone immediately stopped talking and looked at her. She gestured to Dumbledore, and all the heads in the room turned towards the fireplace.
"Thank you, Minerva. I'm sorry I couldn't be here in person, but as you know I can't leave Hogwarts. I'd like to start our meeting by introducing everyone, as I'm sure you don't all know each other." There were a few murmurs of agreement.
"Firstly," began Dumbledore, "I'm sure you all know me. The lady to my right is Minerva McGonagall." McGonagall gave one of her small, rare smiles.
"The gentleman sitting next to her is Severus Snape." Snape nodded.
"Over there we have Mundungus Fletcher and Arabella Figg." Both of them smiled nervously, looking around the room, and Arabella blushed when the dark haired man next to Lupin winked at her.
"The four young people sitting next to the window are Harry Potter, Christian de Neuvillette, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy." There were a few gasps at the word 'Malfoy,' and Draco thought he heard someone mutter 'Death Eater.' Obviously, Dumbledore heard it too and whipped his head around.
"I assure you, Mr Moody," Dumbledore said, slightly coldly, "He is perfectly safe." Draco smiled at Dumbledore in gratitude, and the old man winked back. Mad-Eye Moody stared at his feet.
"Lastly, the two men sitting by the bookcase are Remus Lupin and Sirius Black." Dumbledore was interrupted by an explosion of noise as a few of the people in the room shouted 'Sirius Black? Are you crazy?' and other such things. Then, to Draco's surprise, Harry stood up and banged on the desk. Everybody in the room turned to look at him, including Sirius who was looking slightly scared by all the people glaring at him.
"I'd just like to say," started Harry, his voice wavering slightly, "that Sirius is completely innocent of the crimes he was accused of. Hermione and I met Peter Pettigrew, the man he supposedly killed, in our third year, as did Professor Snape.." Harry paused to throw a dark look in Snape's direction, who squirmed uneasily in his chair. "I also met Peter at the end of my fourth year, when he had gone back to Voldemort." Harry sat down again, ignoring the few people who had automatically flinched at the use of the name and smiling at Sirius, who nodded gratefully.
"I think Mr Potter put that very well," broke in Dumbledore, "and I hope we won't have any silly prejudices about a man who is and always has been on our side." He cast a look over the room. "Now, down to business."
"Tomorrow morning, the first battle against the Death Eaters takes place. All of you have volunteered to be there, with the exception of Minerva, who will be coordinating the battle from here, and Severus, who will be acting as a Death Eater, trying to break up their side from inside. We will meet back here to apparate to the site. I am familiar with the fact that some of you can't yet apparate," he said, looking at Hermione who was opening and closing her mouth like a fish and wriggling on her chair, "and a Portkey will be provided for them and anyone else who does not wish to apparate." Draco looked worriedly at Harry, knowing of his fear of Portkeys ever since he had been taken to Voldemort by one at the end of his fourth year. He looked a little pale, but determined. Draco sighed. Tomorrow he was probably going to die, and he had never told Harry how he felt. Draco looked back up at Dumbledore.
"Now, any questions?" he was saying. When nobody replied, he carried on. "Very well then. Good luck." He nodded gravely, then disappeared with a pop. The people in the room got up quietly, looking very subdued. Harry went over to talk to Sirius and Remus, while Draco, Christian and Hermione walked out of the room, Hermione stalking off ahead. Christian caught Draco by the sleeve.
"Draco," he started uncertainly. Draco sighed.
"Yes?"
"Well, you know we're probably going to die tomorrow?" he looked up at Draco, who didn't reply. No point in upsetting him further, he thought. "Well, I'd like to send Harry one last owl, in case he doesn't die and I do. Could you write me just one more letter?" Christian looked so downcast that Draco couldn't refuse.
"Of course I will," he replied, smiling and putting a hand on Christian's arm. "What would you like it to say?"
