Author's Note: Hi everyone, Thank You for all the lovely reviews!!!
Special thanks (and some overdue ones) goes out to sk8brdrme, dragons lover, TanisaFyre, SoulSister, EPP, Saavik, zeynel, Hyperbole, LenaLovely12, jeanniiee, Fanny chan, Sky Chief, mandraco, Diartemis, asaroth69, S. Wing, Sheron, kerstin-vol, Lazile, Lady Doncaster, nightwing, Dreams Coast, Bishonen no Hime, Myrddin Ambrosius and chibi-Tenshi.
Back to the story. . .
Chapter 16: Where's Draco?
"And what do we have here. . . Young Harry Potter tied up to his bed?" the headmaster surveyed the scene with some amusement. "A bit early for such adventures; isn't it, Mr. Weasley?" he teased; with a twinkle in his eye.
"And with such an audience, too!" He couldn't resist adding, looking at Dean and the still-transfixed Seamus.
Ron was making a choking sound, his face flushing a crimson red.
A huge grin immediately broke out on Harry's face.
He suddenly felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his chest; now that the headmaster was here.
Everything was going to be all right.
Meanwhile, Ron was sputtering out something incoherent.
"It's all right, Mr. Weasley. Professor McGonagall has filled me in about your morning. I think I have a pretty good idea of it so far." the headmaster interrupted.
Professor McGonagall merely nodded in agreement. The headmaster had obviously clued her in on what was happening when she had looked for him in his office. She was looking much more like her usual self again.
"Oh." Ron said shortly, relieved. He suddenly didn't feel as confident as he did five minutes ago.
"And I do believe that you have no cause for concern. Now this may surprise you, boys - but, I am well aware of both Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy's 'condition'." he paused, taking in the three boys' stunned expressions.
Ron's mouth dropped open.
The headmaster put up a reassuring hand at them before continuing, "And I must say, though well-meaning in your efforts, it is quite unnecessary to tie Mr. Potter to his bed." he said, looking at Ron pointedly, with a smile.
"But- but. . ." Ron sputtered again. "I saw them-" he pointed at Harry's bed.
"I trust you can respect my decision and allow Mr. Potter the use of his limbs back." he said again; his tone a little sterner and his smile disappearing.
Ron looked quite put out by this dismissal and he pouted a little as he took out his wand to undo the spell.
In a blink, Harry's hands were free again.
He sat up in bed and sighed softly as he noted his bruised wrists. They were rubbed raw and a painful red tinge now circled his otherwise pale thin wrists.
"Thank you, Professor." he said to Dumbledore softly with as much gratitude as he felt.
"Anytime, Harry." and he noted with some amusement at how Seamus's face fell at Harry's release.
"So what the hell's going on, then?" Dean asked a tad too loudly. He was starting to pull at his hair, feeling as though he had woken up and the whole world had somehow gone mad.
"I'm afraid that the nature of the matter is quite discreet and I'm not at liberty to say without Harry or Draco's consent." he smiled at Harry kindly.
He nodded gratefully at the headmaster, wondering a little if the powerful wizard could read minds, but not caring either way.
Explanations can wait; and so can Ron and everybody else.
All he can think about now was Draco.
++++++++++++++++++++
(In the Great Hall- half an hour later)
Harry scooped up the remainder of his scrambled eggs into his mouth and looked impatiently towards the doors again.
Still no sign of Draco.
He sighed, feeling dejected. *Did Ron really hurt him that badly?* he mulled anxiously to himself.
Ron and Hermione were off somewhere. She had generously offered Harry to try to explain to Ron what was really happening.
*Good old Hermione* he had thought. *You can always count on her when it really matters*
And it had never mattered more than now.
Meanwhile, Seamus and Dean were still giving him funny looks from across the table.
But he couldn't care less.
Harry sighed, briefly considering sneaking into the Slytherin Common Room to search for Draco. But he didn't know the password and he doubted any of the Slytherins would be kind enough to tell him.
He spotted Goyle and Crabbe getting up from their seats and suddenly got an idea.
He was desperate.
Standing up quickly, he followed them out the Hall.
Once they were safely out in the corridor and away from the prying eyes of the school, he called out to them.
"Hey! Wait up!"
They stopped in their tracks and slowly turned to face him.
Harry had forgotten how big those two were, and he gulped a little and forced himself to focus on the issue.
He had to find Draco, even if that meant getting pummeled by his two bodyguards.
"Potter?" Goyle said.
The two Slytherins glanced at each other dumbly, clearly not used to conversing with Harry Potter directly. Draco was the one who normally did.
"What do you want?" Crabbe gruffly asked.
"Erm, I was just wondering if you know where Malfoy is?" Harry asked with a confidence that belied his inner nervousness.
Crabbe looked suspiciously at Harry.
"Why do you want to know?" he asked, taking a step towards Harry and immediately towering over the much smaller boy.
"He - err left his Potions textbook at the library and I want to return it to him."
"Really?" Goyle asked, with a gullible expression. Crabbe still looked unimpressed.
"And you know how much he likes Potions." Harry continued, wondering what he had gotten himself into.
But he couldn't stop now.
"Though I suppose, I could just wait till tomorrow or whenever. . ." he feigned a casual air and started to walk back towards the Great Hall again.
Crabbe frowned, trying to think. He briefly considered Draco's wrath in this matter.
*That little git really did like Potions a whole lot. . .*
One might even think he had a thing for Snape. Crabbe scratched his chin. Finally after a long pause, he conceded.
"He's in the Infirmary. Said something about his head hurting." Crabbe said.
Goyle nodded in agreement.
Harry stopped in his tracks; his hand already on the door by this time.
"Oh, ok." Harry blinked a few times, not believing his luck.
*How easy everything would be if everyone was as stupid as these two.* he pondered to himself for a moment.
"Thanks!" Harry said brightly to the two boys and turned to fly down the hallway, leaving them to stare at him, utterly flabbergasted at his enthusiasm to find their leader.
Thankfully, neither one had noticed the fact that Harry was strangely empty- handed.
Special thanks (and some overdue ones) goes out to sk8brdrme, dragons lover, TanisaFyre, SoulSister, EPP, Saavik, zeynel, Hyperbole, LenaLovely12, jeanniiee, Fanny chan, Sky Chief, mandraco, Diartemis, asaroth69, S. Wing, Sheron, kerstin-vol, Lazile, Lady Doncaster, nightwing, Dreams Coast, Bishonen no Hime, Myrddin Ambrosius and chibi-Tenshi.
Back to the story. . .
Chapter 16: Where's Draco?
"And what do we have here. . . Young Harry Potter tied up to his bed?" the headmaster surveyed the scene with some amusement. "A bit early for such adventures; isn't it, Mr. Weasley?" he teased; with a twinkle in his eye.
"And with such an audience, too!" He couldn't resist adding, looking at Dean and the still-transfixed Seamus.
Ron was making a choking sound, his face flushing a crimson red.
A huge grin immediately broke out on Harry's face.
He suddenly felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his chest; now that the headmaster was here.
Everything was going to be all right.
Meanwhile, Ron was sputtering out something incoherent.
"It's all right, Mr. Weasley. Professor McGonagall has filled me in about your morning. I think I have a pretty good idea of it so far." the headmaster interrupted.
Professor McGonagall merely nodded in agreement. The headmaster had obviously clued her in on what was happening when she had looked for him in his office. She was looking much more like her usual self again.
"Oh." Ron said shortly, relieved. He suddenly didn't feel as confident as he did five minutes ago.
"And I do believe that you have no cause for concern. Now this may surprise you, boys - but, I am well aware of both Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy's 'condition'." he paused, taking in the three boys' stunned expressions.
Ron's mouth dropped open.
The headmaster put up a reassuring hand at them before continuing, "And I must say, though well-meaning in your efforts, it is quite unnecessary to tie Mr. Potter to his bed." he said, looking at Ron pointedly, with a smile.
"But- but. . ." Ron sputtered again. "I saw them-" he pointed at Harry's bed.
"I trust you can respect my decision and allow Mr. Potter the use of his limbs back." he said again; his tone a little sterner and his smile disappearing.
Ron looked quite put out by this dismissal and he pouted a little as he took out his wand to undo the spell.
In a blink, Harry's hands were free again.
He sat up in bed and sighed softly as he noted his bruised wrists. They were rubbed raw and a painful red tinge now circled his otherwise pale thin wrists.
"Thank you, Professor." he said to Dumbledore softly with as much gratitude as he felt.
"Anytime, Harry." and he noted with some amusement at how Seamus's face fell at Harry's release.
"So what the hell's going on, then?" Dean asked a tad too loudly. He was starting to pull at his hair, feeling as though he had woken up and the whole world had somehow gone mad.
"I'm afraid that the nature of the matter is quite discreet and I'm not at liberty to say without Harry or Draco's consent." he smiled at Harry kindly.
He nodded gratefully at the headmaster, wondering a little if the powerful wizard could read minds, but not caring either way.
Explanations can wait; and so can Ron and everybody else.
All he can think about now was Draco.
++++++++++++++++++++
(In the Great Hall- half an hour later)
Harry scooped up the remainder of his scrambled eggs into his mouth and looked impatiently towards the doors again.
Still no sign of Draco.
He sighed, feeling dejected. *Did Ron really hurt him that badly?* he mulled anxiously to himself.
Ron and Hermione were off somewhere. She had generously offered Harry to try to explain to Ron what was really happening.
*Good old Hermione* he had thought. *You can always count on her when it really matters*
And it had never mattered more than now.
Meanwhile, Seamus and Dean were still giving him funny looks from across the table.
But he couldn't care less.
Harry sighed, briefly considering sneaking into the Slytherin Common Room to search for Draco. But he didn't know the password and he doubted any of the Slytherins would be kind enough to tell him.
He spotted Goyle and Crabbe getting up from their seats and suddenly got an idea.
He was desperate.
Standing up quickly, he followed them out the Hall.
Once they were safely out in the corridor and away from the prying eyes of the school, he called out to them.
"Hey! Wait up!"
They stopped in their tracks and slowly turned to face him.
Harry had forgotten how big those two were, and he gulped a little and forced himself to focus on the issue.
He had to find Draco, even if that meant getting pummeled by his two bodyguards.
"Potter?" Goyle said.
The two Slytherins glanced at each other dumbly, clearly not used to conversing with Harry Potter directly. Draco was the one who normally did.
"What do you want?" Crabbe gruffly asked.
"Erm, I was just wondering if you know where Malfoy is?" Harry asked with a confidence that belied his inner nervousness.
Crabbe looked suspiciously at Harry.
"Why do you want to know?" he asked, taking a step towards Harry and immediately towering over the much smaller boy.
"He - err left his Potions textbook at the library and I want to return it to him."
"Really?" Goyle asked, with a gullible expression. Crabbe still looked unimpressed.
"And you know how much he likes Potions." Harry continued, wondering what he had gotten himself into.
But he couldn't stop now.
"Though I suppose, I could just wait till tomorrow or whenever. . ." he feigned a casual air and started to walk back towards the Great Hall again.
Crabbe frowned, trying to think. He briefly considered Draco's wrath in this matter.
*That little git really did like Potions a whole lot. . .*
One might even think he had a thing for Snape. Crabbe scratched his chin. Finally after a long pause, he conceded.
"He's in the Infirmary. Said something about his head hurting." Crabbe said.
Goyle nodded in agreement.
Harry stopped in his tracks; his hand already on the door by this time.
"Oh, ok." Harry blinked a few times, not believing his luck.
*How easy everything would be if everyone was as stupid as these two.* he pondered to himself for a moment.
"Thanks!" Harry said brightly to the two boys and turned to fly down the hallway, leaving them to stare at him, utterly flabbergasted at his enthusiasm to find their leader.
Thankfully, neither one had noticed the fact that Harry was strangely empty- handed.
