There was drowsiness in Draco's eyes the next day that he could not shake
off. He felt tired and worn out although his memory of the last couple of
days was completely blank. He was back at Hogwarts, and it was Thursday
morning, yet he could not think of anything that had happened recently. He
had seen his reflection in the mirror that morning and was surprised to see
his face pale and thin with large bags under his eyes, his hair dishevelled
and his eyes alert with a strange brightness. He had slept in his robes and
the dormitory had been empty when he awoke; something was not right.
As he made his way up to breakfast he heard clumsy footsteps behind him. Who else would it be but Crabbe and Goyle? The brainless idiots. So as not to cause suspicion, he told them he had a headache and wanted to be alone for a while. They looked rather put-out but walked off in the opposite direction. To the Great Hall, I shouldn't bet, to start pigging out on breakfast, he thought, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He had just reached the library, when he noticed two annoyingly familiar figures; Hermione Granger, mudblood and teacher's pet, he thought grudgingly. God, you could recognise her from miles away, with that bushy mop of hers, well, he thought slyly, apart from if she was with a pack of beavers! And Ron Weasley, tall and lanky with bright red hair, the shabbiness of his robes reminded Draco of a slightly clean tramp! Draco hung back in the shadows, listening to what they were saying.
"It must have been his scar, when I saw him he was so still, just curled up on the floor, clutching his head, and when Ernie turned his over, he looked so pale; Oh, Ron, I thought he was dead!" Hermione's voice was edged with sadness and fear. Draco thought they must be talking about Potter, hence the word "scar". He listened on, hoping something amusing had happened to Potter.
"I know, but he'll be alright. You saw him, you heard Madame Pomfrey:" Ron imitated Madame Pomfrey's high, strict voice.
" "He'll be fine, he just needs rest. I've dealt with scars before, don't you doubt it, and this one is different, but I think he's recovering swiftly." " Ron smiled weakly, and so did Hermione. So Potter's scar was hurting him, thought Draco, that's all. Slightly disappointed, Draco began to slouch off in the opposite direction, but next moment, he heard Granger speaking more quietly and more quickly.
"But what do you think triggered it off, Ron? He can't have been near Harry on the train. There's just no way he could have been there!" She glanced quickly around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. She didn't notice Draco lurking in the shadows. Why were they making such a big deal out of a little twinge in Potter's scar? He thought angrily to himself. Probably Dumbledore, probably making sure his golden-boy was in perfect health..
"I don't know." He said, lowering his voice. He too glanced around, looking for listeners.
"You know what he's like..you know what he did to Harry last time. He can possess people, Voldemort I mean." Draco felt as though a huge weight had been thrust into his stomach. His knees gave way as he gasped for breath. His eyes were closing, he saw nothing but blackness. Then it came, like an old movie, playing slowly. First, two scarlet eyes, and then they changed into to bright, emerald green ones. Then he felt a surge of some kind of emotion in his stomach, a terrible, burning sensation; anger. He wanted to strike something, to hit it. Then he saw a boy, his height staring into his eyes, staring with those emerald green eyes, the boy had scruffy black hair, and a scar on his forehead. It was Potter, but as he looked into his eyes, his face flashed into chalk-white, and the eyes into scarlet slits, snake-like; frightening. But then his face changed back to Potter's, and Draco felt the surge of anger return, stronger, more brutal. He wanted to strike Potter, he was pulling out his wand, he was pointing it at him, but then the blackness was returning and the anger was fading.
He was lying on his back, in the dingy corridor outside the library. He tore his eyes open and stared upwards, his breathing fast and short. At first he couldn't make out any of the shapes swimming above him, but as he blinked more and more, they came into focus. Hermione Granger was leaning over him, shaking him. He sat up and looked around, and then forgetting who Hermione was he pulled his arm away from her grip.
"Get off me, Mudblood!" he said with a dizziness he couldn't express. Hermione didn't say anything, though she frowned slightly. Then he felt a sudden pain in his back, as Ron kicked him. Ron picked him up off the ground and slammed him into the wall in outrage. Draco couldn't move, Ron was pinning him down quite hard.
"Let go, Weasley!" he spat, though still with the same dizziness. Ron's face was angry and dangerous.
"Don't you dare call her that!" he hissed, pushing him harder.
"Ron.." Hermione said weakly, laying a hand on his shoulder. But Ron did not look back at her; he was staring hard into Draco's face.
"You heard him, Hermione; you heard what he was saying." He leant closer to Draco.
"What did you do to Harry?" he whispered through gritted teeth. Draco kicked out at Ron, who then let go, clutching his shin. Ron swore loudly and put his leg back down. Draco looked as though he might run away, but he stood his ground. He was not a coward.
"What are you talking about?" he shot at Ron, massaging his neck. But he could not hide the fear smothering him inside out. Hermione spoke now, in a calm, stern voice.
"We heard you, Malfoy." She said, her eyes narrowing. Draco was beginning to feel scared. What had he said? What were they talking about? But inside, deep inside, he realised he must have been saying what he had seen in his mind out loud.
"What did you see when you were on the floor? What did you do?" she pushed on in her calm voice. Draco looked from one to the other, wondering whether he should run for it. But no, that would be cowardly, but he could not explain himself this time. In spite of himself, he turned around and ran away from them as fast as he could.
"ACCIO!" he heard Hermione shout. He was thrown backwards through the air. His mind went dark, then the slow moving movie-like feature in his mind began again. He was lying crumpled at his father's feet, his father pulled him up, he was facing his father, fearing him.
"Idiot boy!" his father spat at him. Then he was in a room, a room he could not get out of, and there, there was a tall hooded man, a man with scarlet red eyes. No! he was screaming. NO! but the man was coming towards him, his long, white fingers outstretched..
"What are you doing?" said an echoing, panicky voice. Then the voice became clearer. Someone was hitting his face. He opened his eyes, and got up. He stumbled, then leant against the wall, panting. What was happening to him? Why was he seeing this? He looked up at Ron and Hermione. They were looking at him as though they thought him mad.
Then they heard footsteps approaching swiftly. They all turned to see Professor McGonagall striding towards them, her face stern.
"What is going on here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked from Ron and Hermione, standing around Draco, then to Draco, leaning against the wall, breathing shortly.
"Miss Granger? Perhaps you could explain?" she looked expectantly at Hermione. Hermione looked abashed, she mumbled for a while, and then Ron stepped in.
"Professor, Malfoy was the one who attacked Harry on the train!" he said, not taking his eyes off of Draco. Professor McGonagall looked very taken aback.
"What are you talking about Weasley?" she breathed, her eyes widening.
"He just said it," Ron said, still keeping his eyes on Draco, glowering at him.
"He was lying on the floor, rolling about, calling Harry's name, then he did this thing with his hands, made him look like he was holding an invisible wand or something. Then he said "I'll kill you, Potter." And woke up." He had taken his eyes off of Draco now and looked earnestly into Professor McGonagall's face. She was looking strangely at Ron, and then she looked at Malfoy.
"It was a - a nightmare, I fainted, sort of." he lamely explained. Then Professor McGonagall looked at Hermione who gulped.
"He did everything Ron said he did; he was having some sort of, some sort of fit." Hermione was looking at Draco now, rather startled. Professor McGonagall straightened up and looked at Malfoy.
"Malfoy, I suggest you go up to the hospital wing. See Madame Pomfrey, she'll soon fix you up." Her voice wasn't stern any more, but it wasn't kind either. Malfoy stopped leaning on the wall, and stood up straight.
"No, I think I'd rather go and lie down..just for a while.." He looked at Professor McGonagall for her approval.
"As you wish." She said shortly. Then she turned to Ron and Hermione.
"Weasley, Granger, come with me, Potter has just woken up." All three of them walked past Draco without a word, but Ron glanced back, glaring at him.
Draco walked back down the corridor, rubbing his head.
*
Up in the hospital wing, Harry was awake. He sat in his bed, rubbing his slightly sore scar, trying to remember what had happened.
As he made his way up to breakfast he heard clumsy footsteps behind him. Who else would it be but Crabbe and Goyle? The brainless idiots. So as not to cause suspicion, he told them he had a headache and wanted to be alone for a while. They looked rather put-out but walked off in the opposite direction. To the Great Hall, I shouldn't bet, to start pigging out on breakfast, he thought, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He had just reached the library, when he noticed two annoyingly familiar figures; Hermione Granger, mudblood and teacher's pet, he thought grudgingly. God, you could recognise her from miles away, with that bushy mop of hers, well, he thought slyly, apart from if she was with a pack of beavers! And Ron Weasley, tall and lanky with bright red hair, the shabbiness of his robes reminded Draco of a slightly clean tramp! Draco hung back in the shadows, listening to what they were saying.
"It must have been his scar, when I saw him he was so still, just curled up on the floor, clutching his head, and when Ernie turned his over, he looked so pale; Oh, Ron, I thought he was dead!" Hermione's voice was edged with sadness and fear. Draco thought they must be talking about Potter, hence the word "scar". He listened on, hoping something amusing had happened to Potter.
"I know, but he'll be alright. You saw him, you heard Madame Pomfrey:" Ron imitated Madame Pomfrey's high, strict voice.
" "He'll be fine, he just needs rest. I've dealt with scars before, don't you doubt it, and this one is different, but I think he's recovering swiftly." " Ron smiled weakly, and so did Hermione. So Potter's scar was hurting him, thought Draco, that's all. Slightly disappointed, Draco began to slouch off in the opposite direction, but next moment, he heard Granger speaking more quietly and more quickly.
"But what do you think triggered it off, Ron? He can't have been near Harry on the train. There's just no way he could have been there!" She glanced quickly around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. She didn't notice Draco lurking in the shadows. Why were they making such a big deal out of a little twinge in Potter's scar? He thought angrily to himself. Probably Dumbledore, probably making sure his golden-boy was in perfect health..
"I don't know." He said, lowering his voice. He too glanced around, looking for listeners.
"You know what he's like..you know what he did to Harry last time. He can possess people, Voldemort I mean." Draco felt as though a huge weight had been thrust into his stomach. His knees gave way as he gasped for breath. His eyes were closing, he saw nothing but blackness. Then it came, like an old movie, playing slowly. First, two scarlet eyes, and then they changed into to bright, emerald green ones. Then he felt a surge of some kind of emotion in his stomach, a terrible, burning sensation; anger. He wanted to strike something, to hit it. Then he saw a boy, his height staring into his eyes, staring with those emerald green eyes, the boy had scruffy black hair, and a scar on his forehead. It was Potter, but as he looked into his eyes, his face flashed into chalk-white, and the eyes into scarlet slits, snake-like; frightening. But then his face changed back to Potter's, and Draco felt the surge of anger return, stronger, more brutal. He wanted to strike Potter, he was pulling out his wand, he was pointing it at him, but then the blackness was returning and the anger was fading.
He was lying on his back, in the dingy corridor outside the library. He tore his eyes open and stared upwards, his breathing fast and short. At first he couldn't make out any of the shapes swimming above him, but as he blinked more and more, they came into focus. Hermione Granger was leaning over him, shaking him. He sat up and looked around, and then forgetting who Hermione was he pulled his arm away from her grip.
"Get off me, Mudblood!" he said with a dizziness he couldn't express. Hermione didn't say anything, though she frowned slightly. Then he felt a sudden pain in his back, as Ron kicked him. Ron picked him up off the ground and slammed him into the wall in outrage. Draco couldn't move, Ron was pinning him down quite hard.
"Let go, Weasley!" he spat, though still with the same dizziness. Ron's face was angry and dangerous.
"Don't you dare call her that!" he hissed, pushing him harder.
"Ron.." Hermione said weakly, laying a hand on his shoulder. But Ron did not look back at her; he was staring hard into Draco's face.
"You heard him, Hermione; you heard what he was saying." He leant closer to Draco.
"What did you do to Harry?" he whispered through gritted teeth. Draco kicked out at Ron, who then let go, clutching his shin. Ron swore loudly and put his leg back down. Draco looked as though he might run away, but he stood his ground. He was not a coward.
"What are you talking about?" he shot at Ron, massaging his neck. But he could not hide the fear smothering him inside out. Hermione spoke now, in a calm, stern voice.
"We heard you, Malfoy." She said, her eyes narrowing. Draco was beginning to feel scared. What had he said? What were they talking about? But inside, deep inside, he realised he must have been saying what he had seen in his mind out loud.
"What did you see when you were on the floor? What did you do?" she pushed on in her calm voice. Draco looked from one to the other, wondering whether he should run for it. But no, that would be cowardly, but he could not explain himself this time. In spite of himself, he turned around and ran away from them as fast as he could.
"ACCIO!" he heard Hermione shout. He was thrown backwards through the air. His mind went dark, then the slow moving movie-like feature in his mind began again. He was lying crumpled at his father's feet, his father pulled him up, he was facing his father, fearing him.
"Idiot boy!" his father spat at him. Then he was in a room, a room he could not get out of, and there, there was a tall hooded man, a man with scarlet red eyes. No! he was screaming. NO! but the man was coming towards him, his long, white fingers outstretched..
"What are you doing?" said an echoing, panicky voice. Then the voice became clearer. Someone was hitting his face. He opened his eyes, and got up. He stumbled, then leant against the wall, panting. What was happening to him? Why was he seeing this? He looked up at Ron and Hermione. They were looking at him as though they thought him mad.
Then they heard footsteps approaching swiftly. They all turned to see Professor McGonagall striding towards them, her face stern.
"What is going on here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked from Ron and Hermione, standing around Draco, then to Draco, leaning against the wall, breathing shortly.
"Miss Granger? Perhaps you could explain?" she looked expectantly at Hermione. Hermione looked abashed, she mumbled for a while, and then Ron stepped in.
"Professor, Malfoy was the one who attacked Harry on the train!" he said, not taking his eyes off of Draco. Professor McGonagall looked very taken aback.
"What are you talking about Weasley?" she breathed, her eyes widening.
"He just said it," Ron said, still keeping his eyes on Draco, glowering at him.
"He was lying on the floor, rolling about, calling Harry's name, then he did this thing with his hands, made him look like he was holding an invisible wand or something. Then he said "I'll kill you, Potter." And woke up." He had taken his eyes off of Draco now and looked earnestly into Professor McGonagall's face. She was looking strangely at Ron, and then she looked at Malfoy.
"It was a - a nightmare, I fainted, sort of." he lamely explained. Then Professor McGonagall looked at Hermione who gulped.
"He did everything Ron said he did; he was having some sort of, some sort of fit." Hermione was looking at Draco now, rather startled. Professor McGonagall straightened up and looked at Malfoy.
"Malfoy, I suggest you go up to the hospital wing. See Madame Pomfrey, she'll soon fix you up." Her voice wasn't stern any more, but it wasn't kind either. Malfoy stopped leaning on the wall, and stood up straight.
"No, I think I'd rather go and lie down..just for a while.." He looked at Professor McGonagall for her approval.
"As you wish." She said shortly. Then she turned to Ron and Hermione.
"Weasley, Granger, come with me, Potter has just woken up." All three of them walked past Draco without a word, but Ron glanced back, glaring at him.
Draco walked back down the corridor, rubbing his head.
*
Up in the hospital wing, Harry was awake. He sat in his bed, rubbing his slightly sore scar, trying to remember what had happened.