Chapter 41

"You can't be serious!" Ron almost fell off his chair.

Harry nodded, "I'm not stupid. I recognize that this might be some kind of trap, Ron. That's why I want to talk to Snape and Dumbledore first. Maybe I can get them to use some Veritaserum on him or something before I act."

Hermione had stopped scribbling on her homework long enough to add a thought. "I think it's very noble of you Harry. Not to mention very forgiving."

Ron snorted, "Of course you would think that. Harry this is Malfoy we are talking about, the same person who said you were dead last year."

"I know," Harry looked at his desk. "But if he's telling the truth don't you think it might be a step closer to leading us to Voldemort?"

Hermione put down her quill. "I thought you said he didn't know where Voldemort was."

"He doesn't, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know anything useful."

She nodded her head in understanding. "You're barking, both of you, and if Dumbledore goes along with this he's barking too! This is your home you are talking about, Harry. And if you aren't able to confront Voldemort this year, you will be living with Malfoy over the summer."

He hadn't thought of that, but put it off all the same. "Ron, if it was your mother, what would you do?"

He frowned. "I bloody well wouldn't go to Malfoy, that's for sure."

"I went to him, he didn't come to me. He's trusting me with the life of his mother. I can't ignore that."

Ron shrugged, still not liking the situation, but not able to think of a stronger argument against Malfoy's mother staying at Grimmauld Place.

Harry felt the need to lighten the mood somewhat. "I made the band tonight."

Hermione hopped in her seat and clapped her hands. "Is it beautiful?"

Harry shrugged. "Dunno, I just poured the mold. I'll see tomorrow night."

"You think this will work?" asked Ron.

"Dumbledore thinks so. He also thinks I should study Enchantments."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "He what?"

Harry nodded. "Said I was a natural or, what was it, a prodigy."

"You're joking?" Ron gasped.

Harry eyed both of them. "Am I missing something?"

"Harry, Enchanters are very rare. Only one in a few thousand wizards have the ability to enchant anything of any worth." Hermione paused. "Think of it as every wizard you know as a first-year and you just received outstanding on all of your N.E.W.T.'s. That's how much power and Enchanter has over the rest of us in that particular field."

Harry wasn't exactly following what she was saying. He understood the whole power thing, but not the application portion.

Hermione rolled her eyes when she saw the confusion. "Harry, you will be able to imbue inanimate objects with magical properties on a permanent basis. Charms, and hexes, wear off eventually, but never enchantments."

Ron thumbed at Hermione. "What she said. Blimey, Harry, even if you weren't rich already after a few years out of school you would be."

"That's it!" Hermione almost squealed.

"What?" both Ron and Harry asked.

"Harry, you asked me to make some sort of way to communicate with each other. You can do it. You just need the proper spell."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Pocket mirror's ... like the ones Sirius had; they were enchanted objects. I would only be able to charm them for a short while, so I didn't even consider that an option. You can make the spell permanent."

"Uh, okay."

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After a very short breakfast the next morning Harry visited the office of the headmaster before his first class. Dumbledore sat quietly and listened to Harry's story from the beginning with his first encounter with Malfoy at front of the school. He included his concerns about the death threats from last year and a general feeling of what life has been like over the last six years.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully over the story and when it ended they sat in silence for a few moments.

"And now you wish to give Mrs. Malfoy sanctuary at Grimmauld Place?"

Harry nodded. "I really want to know if I can trust that what Malfoy told me is the truth or some plot by Voldemort."

"Alas, that is something that I cannot confirm. However, I do know about his mother's condition and you can rest assured that she has been through a very tough time of it for the last few years."

Indecision rode Harry's face. "What should I do?"

Dumbledore smiled, "Trust is a very hard thing to come by in this day and age with Voldemort on the rise. There is a question that you have to ask yourself. Can you live with your conscience knowing that young Mr. Malfoy is taking this punishment for the welfare of his mother and sit aside, or will you put your instincts to the test and take a chance that you might be wrong, thus losing the safety of Grimmauld Place in the end?"

He mulled it over in his head for a moment. "Is there a way to keep whoever is inside so they can't get out? Sirius made it so nobody but me, Hermione and Ron can get in without an invitation. That would insure she wouldn't be able to leave and tell others where to find the house."

Dumbledore nodded. "I can perform the reverse of the spell for occupants of the house. One of you would have to be present to let anyone inside access to the outside."

Harry smiled somewhat, still not happy with what his decision would be. "Then I have to do something."

Dumbledore nodded, "It shows great strength of character to accept a former enemy into your home, Harry."

Harry huffed, "Lets just hope I don't get my 'great character' killed in my sleep. I want to do this as soon as possible."

"I would suggest this weekend. I'll alert some of the order for assistance."

He looked at his watch, "I've got first-years this morning. I'll contact Malfoy and make sure he alerts his mother, and I'd appreciate if you would hold off punishment of Crabbe and Goyle until after she is safe. I promised Malfoy."

"Of course, Harry. However I have a few tricks up my sleeves to hold back their abuse in the interim. He will have no fear of retribution in the future, at least none from a Hogwarts student.

The real impact of what Dumbledore said hit him as he walked into his classroom. Voldemort will put out a death sentence for the Malfoy's once he realizes they were gone for good.

He needed to talk to his rival once more before putting the plan in motion.

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On his way to lunch he stopped by the Owlery and scribbled off a note for Malfoy to meet him in the Quidditch pitch after lunch with news.

Hedwig flapped down in front of him and hooted a welcome.

"Sorry Hedwig, this one's got to go undercover. You're too well known."

She hooted angrily and snubbed him .

Harry stroked her feathers and gave her a treat all the same. "It's just that you are so beautiful, girl, and the note's only going to the Great Hall."

She picked up the treat and he could have sworn that she snubbed the note, this time, like it wasn't worth her trouble to deliver something so trivial. Harry knew how to play to her ego.

"You're late," commented Hermione when Harry sat down at lunch and pecked her on the cheek.

"Had to send Malfoy a note," he whispered.

"So you're doing it then?"

He nodded as he reached for a leg of roasted chicken and set upon it. A few owls flew in at that moment and dropped their letters and parcels. Normally they didn't deliver mail at lunch because they are mostly nocturnal animals, but it wasn't out of the ordinary.

Harry kept a cautious eye on Malfoy to make sure he received his note and his acknowledgement of brief eye contact that he would meet him.

"I've made arrangements for the mirrors. Regular hand mirrors for the boys and compacts for the girls so it wouldn't raise suspicions if they are found," noted Hermione. "They should be arriving this afternoon and you can enchant them tonight."

Harry nodded stuffing as much food in his mouth as possible.

"Harry, why are you eating so fast?"

He swallowed following it down with half a glass of pumpkin juice. "Meeting him on the Quidditch pitch, and I won't be eating dinner tonight being in Dumbledore's office and all."

She gave him one of her looks. "You know Dobby would be more than happy to bring you something."

"We'll see," he commented one last time before taking a final bite of pumpkin pie and grabbing his school bag. He pecked her on the cheek before he was off. "Bye."

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

It was another ten minutes before Malfoy showed. Harry watched from the locker room doors as he turned his head around every few seconds to see if he was being followed and took a roundabout way of getting to the field.

"What's happened?" he said immediately upon his arrival.

"This weekend. I've set it up. She'll be staying at my house."

Malfoy looked insulted, "My mother will not be living with Muggles, Potter!"

Harry shook his head. "I wouldn't put that sort of torture on anyone. I have a different house. It's unplottable and there are a number of spells on it to make sure nobody can find it, get in or leave."

Malfoy's face relaxed and he almost smiled before a scowl crossed his features. "What's in it for you?"

Harry looked offended. "What?"

"I'm not kissing your ass or joining your little band, Potter. That's not the deal. I'm not getting out of one bad situation and into another. So what's in it for you?"

"No deal's, Malfoy ... except for one. You and your mother can't tell anyone where my house is."

He seemed to consider if Harry was trying to trick him into something.

"Voldemort will know that she's gone. He'll likely put you on his list of people to kill when he has the chance."

"I'd be there anyway, soon enough." Then he made his decision. "Fine, but I'm going along to retrieve her."

Harry nodded, "I'd expect as much. I'll have to go and I'm sure a few others will be along in case there's trouble. Alert your mother to have a few bags packed of things she can't live without. They'll be more than enough to keep her busy at my house."

Malfoy checked the door. "I can't stay too much longer, they'll be finishing lunch soon and start their hunt for me."

"Dumbledore said he'd take care of them and not be obvious."

He ignored Harry's statement. "Sure you want me in your house all summer, Potter?"

Harry took on a very serious tone. "Trust has to be built at sometime. I'm taking the first step."

Malfoy laughed out loud. "You really do believe in all of this, hogwash don't you? There are only two kind of people in this world, Potter. Those that have the power and those that don't."

He didn't take offense at this, knowing where those thought had come from. "You sound like your father."

Malfoy jerked like he had been hit.

"Think for yourself, Malfoy. Don't be another one of Voldemort's cattle." He stepped past and opened the locker room door. "I'll be in touch before this weekend."