Within five hours of teachers finding Lavender's body, everything was canceled, classes, quidditch, and meals. Trained hitwizards patrolled the hallways. Trolls guarded the entrances. Students were required to travel in groups of fve, with one teacher at least.
"It's Draco," Ron said, looking pale.
Hermione nodded.
"But how do we prove it?" asked Harry, sitting next to the fire.
"Perhaps, if we sneaked into the Slytherin common room, under the invisiblility cloak of course, and poked around..." Ron started.
"Bad idea. One, we don't know the password and two, there's too much of a chance that we'll be caught," Hermione pointed out, "you're rushing into things."
"Hermione's right. We could try the Polyjuice Potion again," Harry suggested.
"No!" Hermione said quickly.
Harry and Ron looked at her.
"I mean, maybe the invisibility cloak would be better after all," Hermione stated.
"Oh, I know what this is about! You just don't want to accidently turn into a cat again!" Ron said.
Hermione turned red and looked down, "well, thats part of it... But it takes so long to do and all..."
"Alright, so, tonight, under the invisibility cloak, we sneak into Slytherin," Harry said, whispering.
"Not tonight! I've got homework tonight!" Hermione said.
"Well, we haven't go much time..." Ron said, thinking.
"You two go by yourselves. Only two fit under that cloak comfortably anyway," Hermione suggested.
"Alright, plus Ron and I've been there before," Harry pointed out.
Later that evening...
Madam Pince stepped into the Gryffindor common room, "All who wish to come to the Library now is the time!"
Hermione stood up and wished Harry and Ron good luck nervously. Then he followed the large group of Gryffindor's wishing to complete homework.
Once they were gone Harry and Ron ran up into the dormitory and put on the cloak. They crept out of the Gryffindor common room and out into the hallways.
They walked down the hall to the Slytherin entrance. Luckily there were some Slytherins just entering and they were able to slip through. They quickly sneaked up to the seventh year boys' dormintory.
"Okay so which one is Draco's bed?" Ron whispered peering around.
"Ummm, look for robes with his name on it," Harry suggested, shedding the cloak, deciding no one was there.
"Okay, you check over there, I'll start here," Ron said and began shuffling through clothes.
Harry did the same at the other end.
"Ewww, dirty socks!" Ron said tossing them away and moving on to the next bed.
"Ah ha!" Harry grinned, pleased, holding up some robes, with Draco Malfoy sewn on. Ron hurried over.
"Okay, so if he killed all those people, he must have bloody clothes or something, a cloth from Lavender, Trewlawny, Hagrid, or Pansy's clothes!" Ron said prying open Draco's trunk.
"Hey look at this," Harry said, tentatively pulling out the bloody robes from beneath his bed.
"Bloody hell!" Ron said gaping.
"This is proof enough that Draco's the killer, come on, we have to bring this to Dumbledore." Harry said his face tight.
"Don't touch it with your fingers, hold it with a cloth, you'll get fingerprints on it!" Ron said handing a shirt to Harry.
The pulled the invisibility cloak back over them and the robes and back down to the Slytherin common room.
Madam pince was there with some Gryfindors that had finished studying, Hermione was not amoung them,"Any Sytherins who want to come to the library, come with me!"
"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked and watched as Draco walked out the door with Madam Pince. He was the only Slytherin going with her, actually the only student going with her.
"Oh no! Hermione must still be in the library, Draco is going there with Madam Pince, he'll kill her and Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, "Dumbledore!"
"We don't have time to go to Dumbledore! By the time we convince him Draco's the killer Hermione will be dead!" Ron argued, Harry nodded and they rushed out of the common room.
Once in the library they threw off the invisibility cloak only to see Madam Pince's body lying dead, with long gashes running down her front.
Swallowing Harry and Ron continued hearing Hermione and Draco's voices.
They ran through the rows of shelves of books to see Hermione and Draco both standing up, talking quietly.
"Hermione!" Ron yelled, "Draco's the killer! We have proof!"
Hermione stared at them and then did something very unexpected.
She smiled.