CHAPTER 8: EXPLANATIONS

*********************************************************************************

The next morning, Harry woke up to see that no one else was around. He was alone in the dormitory. Harry glanced at his watch frantically. He was running fifteen minutes late. Why had he slept in? Furthermore, why had everyone let him sleep in? Why hadn't someone awakened him? Harry threw on his robes and grabbed his wand and Herbology book. He sprinted through the hallways to the Great Hall. As he scuttled into the room, man heads turned to look at him. At the staff table in the front of the room, Harry saw Professor McGonagall raise her eyebrows disapprovingly towards him, then stab her fork angrily into her ham. Harry collected his wits and proceeded to the Gryffindor table.

"Where were you?" Hermione hissed. "We've been waiting for ages!"

"Well," Harry said, looking angrily at Ron. "Someone didn't think it was terribly important for me to be on time to my classes."

"I didn't want to wake you!" Ron looked dreadfully sorry. "After last night - I'd heard that McGonagall caught you."

"Where'd you hear that from?" Harry was inquisitive.

"Well, Monsieur Malfoy, 'ee ees going around, telling effry-one zat 'ee blinded you. And zat 'ee broke your glasses." Madeline explained.

"Well!" Harry said irritably, "Did he mention how I gave him liquid legs?"

"No. We were wondering if you had used any spells at all. He made it sound like he beat you terribly." Hermione looked at Harry with pity in her voice.

"I used spells!" Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "True, though, things weren't working out so well until McGonagall showed up. And we both got detentions."

The other three friends gasped. "When?" Ron seemed worried.

"Don't know. I'm actually really confused. I was blinded and then McGonagall showed up. She reversed the spells," Harry recalled, his eyes frenetically scanning the table. "I was sort of in a daze after that. She assigned the punishments. I remember Malfoy snipped off to her. She took ten from Slytherin and he accused her of being biased, and she took more points. She gave us both detentions. Then she sent us to bed."

Harry's friends looked worried and angry.

"Harry, why did you do that? You knew Malfoy wouldn't play fair!" Hermione cried.

"I know, but I… I don't know why. I suppose I thought that I would seem like a thick if I backed out… I felt like I had to." Harry stared at his ham.

"What really puzzles me," Ron said thoughtfully, "Is why Sirius let you go."

"Not just let me go," Harry replied, "but encouraged it! I don't know either."

"Pair'aps you should speak wees 'eem later, 'Arry." Madeline, like the others, seemed concerned.

Harry cleared his throat. "What do we have first?"

"Herbology with Ravenclaw," Hermione replied. "Then Flying, then Transfiguration."

"I see." Harry took a large bite of ham and eggs.

"er-Harry… we all got so wrapped up in the duel… yesterday in Snape's class, you said you needed to tell me something important. What was it?"

Ron nearly choked. "I can't believe I forgot about that!" He lowered his voice. Everyone leaned their heads in with anticipation.

"We heard Snape talking… to Malfoy!" Harry began, "He was talking about how Malfoy was supposed to help Voldemort, but Voldemort was too busy. Supposedly Voldemort said Snape is 'no longer faithful', and Malfoy said he would 'keep an eye on the boy'." Harry's eyes were barmy as he recalled the comments between the two Death-Eaters, or wizards and witches still faithful to Voldemort. "Snape had wanted Malfoy to come to him the night before, but Malfoy said everyone else was asleep."

Hermione and Madeline looked speechless. After what seemed like hours, Madeline cleared her throat.

"'Arry, over at Beauxbatons, we often talked about zee tri-wizard tournament." The previous year, Harry had been a school champion of Hogwart's. He was then entered automatically into a tournament consisting of champions from three major European witchcraft and wizardry schools. Beauxbatons, in France, and Hogwart's were two of these schools. The champion from Beauxbatons, a part-veela witch, had enchanted Ron. Harry was beginning to wonder if perhaps Ron took a liking to Beauxbatons girls in general. Madeline continued with her story. "Ees eet true, 'Arry? About Voldemort killing a boy, Cedric Diggory?"

Harry sighed. His eyes nearly welled up as he recalled the final task of the tournament, which required the winning contestant to touch the champion's cup. Once this had been done, the tournament was over and a winner was declared. Both Harry and Cedric reached the cup at the same time, so they both touched it. Immediately, they had been hurdled to another place; Harry still didn't know exactly where it was. A killing spell had been placed on Cedric, and it had proven itself lethal. Harry had won the tournament, but the victory had certainly been far more bitter than sweet. There was grief throughout the school. Indeed, Voldemort had killed a Hogwart's student. Harry often wondered if he were the one Voldemort meant to murder. Had Cedric simply been in the way?

"Yes," Harry whispered, "It's true."

"'Arry, I opened my book last night."

Harry's eyes became round, and his jaw dropped.

"I sought I would wait for a good time to tell you…"

"Please, Madeline, tell us now!" Ron pleaded.

"All right." Madeline took a deep breath. "I saw… I saw…" Madeline's voice cracked. "Malfoy standing over a heap. The heap had a face. The face looked very much like zee peek-tures I haf seen of Monsieur Cedric Diggory een zee 'Daily Prophet'. Malfoy was laughing wretchedly. 'Ee was pointing ees wand at zee heap." Madeline looked up at Harry. "'Arry, I seenk zees proofs what I haf been sinking. Along wees your story about Snape and Malfoy, I seenk I now haf proof. I bee-leef Malfoy ees working for Voldemort. I beeleef zat zee troof of zee mattair ees, Malfoy ees watching you. 'ee could 'af destroyed you at zee duel. I beeleef zee reason Monsieur Black let you go to zee duel ees seemply zat Monsieur Black knows. 'Ee knows, 'Arry!"

Ron looked very confused. "Knows what? That Malfoy's evil? Everyone knows that."

Hermione looked frightened. "No, Ron, it's so much more complex than that…"

The conversation would have carried on, but everyone was standing to leave for the day's first classes. As the four friends left the Great Hall to head to Herbology, Harry considered how much he needed to speak with Sirius. He believed that the situation was urgent. Just then, as Harry walked slowly to class, he saw Sirius' figure coming down the corridor. Harry jogged over to Sirius and motioned for him to come to the side of the corridor.

"Harry," Sirius hissed, his voice full of annoyance, "Why didn't you disarm him?"

"I-I-" Harry really couldn't explain himself very well. Several years before, a 'dueling club' had been set up. Harry remembered Snape disarming the old Defense-Against-The-Dark-Arts teacher. "He didn't disarm me."

"Mm-hmm." Sirius sounded quite perturbed. "Harry, look. I think you know what I do. About Snape and Malfoy. I wanted to see if you were strong enough to defeat them. Malfoy is watching you and reporting to Snape. I sent McGonagall and told her to break up the duel if you seemed to be losing very badly."

"Does Professor McGonagall know about Voldemort?" Harry inquired.

"No, I don't believe she does." Sirius looked thoughtful. "That's why you got a detention. Sorry about that."

"Mm-hmm…" Harry waved it off. "There is something you know that I don't."

"What's that, Harry?" Sirius was curious.

"Why are you teaching here? You were still on the run last year!" Harry's eyes burned with angst.

"Well," Sirius sighed, "Over the summer, Harry, I went to Court and pleaded my case in front of the Ministry of Magic." Harry knew that the Ministry of Magic was headed up by Cornelius Fudge. Fudge knew Harry quite well; they had had several encounters before. "Dumbledore, always a good man, was a witness in my favor, and I was found innocent. After a while, most of the community had been convinced that I truly was innocent, once they learned the whole story. Dumbledore offered me a job here, because I really didn't have anywhere else to go. Besides, Dumbledore knows about your book, Harry."

"How do you know about my book?" Harry was taken aback.

"Hermione told me about it when she bought it. She also sent me an owl when you met Voldemort. The thing I needed to keep an eye on here is Voldemort. I knew the book was bad before you found the rose. But once you'd opened it… there's no turning back, Harry. You can't go back now."

"I know." Harry took a deep breath. "Will you help me? Will you help Madeline?"

"Yes… you do know about her, right?"

"Depends on what I need to know," Harry said slowly.

"She's part fairy. That's why her eyes change colour."

Harry gasped. "What sort of special powers does that give her?"

"None, really," Sirius said, "But she can sense when evil is around. She could tell you if someone, or something, was good or wicked. They've got a sort of sixth sense."

"Sounds like a power to me," Harry pronounced. "Thank you for telling me."

Sirius sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I never should have let you duel, Harry. I shouldn't have let you go…"

"Sirius, what's done is done. I wasn't hurt, so everything's all right." Harry bit his bottom lip. "I've really got to get to Herbology, though."

"I'll come with you and tell Professor Sprout you were speaking with me."

The two walked to the Herbology classroom. After Sirius' explanation, Harry sat down next to Hermione. He noticed that Madeline was not in the classroom. Harry looked curiously at Hermione.

"I'll tell you later," Hermione whispered.

Herbology class consisted of learning about Turremoras, little purple flowers that could hold a conversation. At the end of class, as the students were leaving, Harry overheard a small conversation between a Gryffindor, Parvati Patil, and her twin sister, a Ravenclaw.

"I know, Parvati," Parvati's sister said softly, "I want to speak with you more, but I can't… I've been threatened… I just can't."

"We're sisters!" Parvati exclaimed, "We can't let a stupid little fight break us up! I know what's going on, but-" The two girls stopped talking as Parvati's friends came up behind her and looked daggers at her sister. "Bye…" Parvati mumbled miserably as she hung her head and walked away slowly.

Harry thought about how terrible the feud was, breaking up families like that. In the corridor on the way to Transfiguration class, Hermione explained Madeline's absence to Harry.

"She looked uncomfortable when she walked into the classroom. She kept staring at this Ravenclaw boy. Finally, she looked as though she were going to burst. She walked up to Professor Sprout and said something quietly. She kept looking at the Ravenclaw boy. Then, Madeline left the classroom. As she was walking out, her eyes looked angry and they were locked on that Ravenclaw boy. I don't know who he is."

Harry pondered the possibilities. Could it be that the Ravenclaw boy was evil? Seeing Madeline in a new light, Harry realized her abilities, and he respected them. But where had Madeline gone? To Dumbledore?

As the students entered Professor McGonagall's classroom, Harry was still thinking about where Madeline was.

"Mr. Potter, up to my desk, please!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the chamber. Harry gulped as he walked slowly towards Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked politely, forcing a smile.

"Your detention, Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall didn't look very happy.

"Yes, ma'am?" Harry repeated.

"It will be tonight, at 8 o'clock sharp. You will please report to Hagrid's cabin. Apparently, a house-elf has disappeared and you and Mr. Malfoy will help Hagrid look for it in the woods." McGonagall folded her hands and frowned. "You may sit."

"Thank you, ma'am," Harry said quietly, heading back to his desk silently. If he had to have detention, at least it was going to be with Hagrid.

But why did it have to be with Malfoy?

"All right, class, take out your wands, please," Professor McGonagall said.

Harry paid attention the best he could in Transfiguration class, but all he could think about was Malfoy, Hagrid, and most of all, Madeline.