Chapter 11 ~ Redeeming a Malfoy
Sirius' port key had been linked to the hospital ward at Hogwarts, and the timing couldn't have been better. It seemed that Malfoy had sneaked out to practice Quidditch alone and had unwisely released a bludger. Madam Pomfrey was just sending him out the door when they appeared, Muriel still whimpering, on the floor. Madam Pomfrey helped Sirius lift her onto a bed and questioned him about what had happened. Sirius supplied her with the details of the curse she'd been hit with. Since it was her own, Madam Pomfrey tried to ask her what the counter curse was. But Muriel was unable to do anything but scream in answer.
"I don't know, I don't know, only Severus knows!" Sirius, who'd been watching Malfoy out of the corner of his eye, saw his horrified look as he slipped quietly from the room.
"Take care of her, Poppy," he said, as he pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak, "I've got to make sure he's going where we think he's going." Sirius followed Malfoy, who was heading determinedly off Hogwart's grounds. He watched him apparate, then returned to the hospital room. When he arrived, Madam Pomfrey was wiping Muriel's brow. She looked up triumphantly.
"He took your port key with him!" She was beaming, and Sirius grinned back.
"Alright, then, everything is in motion here. I'm headed back to Headquarters to see if they need any help with the others." Sirius arrived a few minutes later at Grimmauld Place, which was now filled with young wizards and witches who were not members of the Order. Percy was awake, and helping his brothers explain what was going on to the new arrivals. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, free to come downstairs while Mrs. Weasley had been seeing to Percy, had not been sent back up. They sat with Fred, George, Percy and several others at the kitchen table. Sirius could tell by the looks on their faces that Fred and George had told them the plan.
"It looks like Draco has gone to fetch Snape," he said into the silence that had fallen so abruptly. They looked back at him with disbelief on their faces. They plainly thought that Malfoy was incapable of performing such a good deed. Sirius heard himself explain, "I wouldn't have believed that Snape would be a spy for the Order when I went to school with him, but there he is, doing it. Sometimes your first impression of someone isn't always right." He stood for a moment, trying to take in what he'd heard himself say. He wasn't sure he'd convinced himself, let alone them. "I'm going to go check on Buckbeak," he said defeatedly, heading up the stairs.
Madam Pomfrey was in her office when Draco reappeared, holding Sirius' discarded port key. Also touching the port key were two very angry looking adults, both bound and apparently gagged. Draco calmly removed the three wands he had stuck under his belt and used his own to stun Lucius Malfoy again, who fell backwards hard, his head cracking sickeningly against the floor. No one noticed Severus' cringe.
Professor Deesia was still curled into a tight ball, fighting back screams as best she could. The tears she couldn't control had soaked her hair and pillow. Draco turned from his father and approached Snape. "Here," he snapped, loosing the bonds and tossing Snape his wand. He was careful to keep his own wand pointing directly at the Potions Master. "Perform the counter-curse and nothing else, or you'll be very sorry." Draco tried to sound threatening, although he didn't feel very brave. He was already starting to think that his luck today just couldn't hold out.
Snape sneered at him, but kept his eyes on the boy's wand as he approached the writhing form of Professor Deesia and quietly performed the counter- curse. As soon as she'd stopped crying out, Draco jabbed his wand at Snape and yelled, "Expelliarmus!"
He quickly bound the Potions Master again, and dragged him off to lie beside Lucius, looking very smug indeed. Then he went to Professor Deesia, who was still shivering violently, as though the shadows of her pain had not left her. He saw, though, that she had a look of relief on her face. "Come here, Draco," she whispered, patting the bed. Draco sat down on the side of her bed, feeling rather out of place as she reached for his hand. He could tell it took all the strength she had left when she raised her head to say thank you. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep.
Madam Pomfrey bustled in with a full and steaming cauldron, followed by Sirius Black, Professor Dumbledore, and, much to Draco's dismay, Harry Potter. Draco jumped off the bed sheepishly, but was not able to drop Professor Deesia's hand, which suddenly seemed to be holding his like a vice. Luckily it was at that moment that she awoke, and her grip lessened enough to enable him to get free. Sirius had rushed to her upon seeing her awake and was already questioning her, as Professor Dumbledore and Harry were heading over to look at Professor Snape and Draco's father.
"Astounding," Professor Dumbledore was casting an appreciative eye at Draco, seeing that he had managed to capture not only Professor Snape, but Lucius Malfoy as well. Lucius was well known to be one of the most dangerous Death Eaters Voldemort had. "Do you mean to say, Draco, that you apprehended these two yourself?"
Draco looked at Harry, who was also looking impressed, and tried not to sound too proud. "Yeah, well, I got lucky. When I got there, Father had his back to me, and I stunned him before he could turn completely around." No one seemed to know quite what to say, so Draco continued, "I thought I'd better bring him along. I know that he - " It wasn't family loyalty that made him leave that sentence unfinished, but the open admiration that seemed to be coming at him from all sides. Draco couldn't ever remember feeling liked before.
Professor Deesia, who had, with Sirius' help, sat up in bed, looked rather crestfallen. "You have gotten yourself into a great deal of trouble just to help me, Draco." Draco began to be uncomfortable again. He didn't want her to get all mushy and embarrass him in front of everyone, but thankfully she fell silent.
"Well, I wasn't planning to go home for Easter anyway," he said, smirking. Then he added, serious again, "What will you do with him?"
It was Dumbledore who answered. "We will take him to the Ministry of Magic, and they will likely put him back in Azkaban." Draco looked at him in disbelief. Even Harry looked worried at this news.
"But he broke out of there within a few months last time!" Draco exclaimed, "And I know he saw me! He'll be free to hunt me down in a week!" No one could contradict this, and Draco fell silent, looking angrily at the floor.
Harry spoke up first, and Draco looked at him in shock. "You'll be safe at Hogwarts, no one here is going to let him get to you." Harry spoke vehemently, and Draco thought, for the first time, that maybe this was someone who'd be worth having on his side.
"And something will be arranged for the summer, Draco. You will not have to go home. There are several wizarding families who will, I am sure, be happy to take you in." Professor Deesia smiled weakly at him, then sank a little lower into her pillows. Draco noticed as he smiled back that Professor Black was pushing her hair gently out of her eyes.
Harry hoped that she didn't mean the Weasleys, who, he was sure, would be most UNhappy to take Draco in. Still, he couldn't help but think that it took a lot of guts for Malfoy to have taken on his father like that, and Snape to boot. After all, Malfoy didn't know that Snape wouldn't have really resisted, and Harry wasn't going to tell him. He'd had too many run- ins with the boy to trust him completely yet. What if he'd only turned in Lucius to gain their trust. After all, he knew he'd just break out again.
Professor Dumbledore levitated both Lucius and Snape, explaining that he would be taking them to the Ministry immediately.
"Professor, I'd like to talk to Lucius."
"I don't think that would be wise just now, Professor Deesia," Dumbledore said gravely. Sirius, sitting beside her on the bed, gripped her shoulder with white knuckled hands. Muriel stared hard at the headmaster, whose gaze didn't falter. Finally, Muriel lowered her eyes and Dumbledore continued out of the ward. She was too weak to deal with a perturbed Lucius Malfoy today anyway.
Madam Pomfrey came out of her office with a potion to ease the after- effects of the curse that Professor Deesia was still feeling. Harry wanted to talk over his suspicions with Sirius, but saw that he was engaged in a tense and hushed conversation with Professor Deesia, who paused, grimacing, to drink the purple liquid Madam Pomfrey offered her. Something told him it would be best not to interrupt.
Sirius' port key had been linked to the hospital ward at Hogwarts, and the timing couldn't have been better. It seemed that Malfoy had sneaked out to practice Quidditch alone and had unwisely released a bludger. Madam Pomfrey was just sending him out the door when they appeared, Muriel still whimpering, on the floor. Madam Pomfrey helped Sirius lift her onto a bed and questioned him about what had happened. Sirius supplied her with the details of the curse she'd been hit with. Since it was her own, Madam Pomfrey tried to ask her what the counter curse was. But Muriel was unable to do anything but scream in answer.
"I don't know, I don't know, only Severus knows!" Sirius, who'd been watching Malfoy out of the corner of his eye, saw his horrified look as he slipped quietly from the room.
"Take care of her, Poppy," he said, as he pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak, "I've got to make sure he's going where we think he's going." Sirius followed Malfoy, who was heading determinedly off Hogwart's grounds. He watched him apparate, then returned to the hospital room. When he arrived, Madam Pomfrey was wiping Muriel's brow. She looked up triumphantly.
"He took your port key with him!" She was beaming, and Sirius grinned back.
"Alright, then, everything is in motion here. I'm headed back to Headquarters to see if they need any help with the others." Sirius arrived a few minutes later at Grimmauld Place, which was now filled with young wizards and witches who were not members of the Order. Percy was awake, and helping his brothers explain what was going on to the new arrivals. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, free to come downstairs while Mrs. Weasley had been seeing to Percy, had not been sent back up. They sat with Fred, George, Percy and several others at the kitchen table. Sirius could tell by the looks on their faces that Fred and George had told them the plan.
"It looks like Draco has gone to fetch Snape," he said into the silence that had fallen so abruptly. They looked back at him with disbelief on their faces. They plainly thought that Malfoy was incapable of performing such a good deed. Sirius heard himself explain, "I wouldn't have believed that Snape would be a spy for the Order when I went to school with him, but there he is, doing it. Sometimes your first impression of someone isn't always right." He stood for a moment, trying to take in what he'd heard himself say. He wasn't sure he'd convinced himself, let alone them. "I'm going to go check on Buckbeak," he said defeatedly, heading up the stairs.
Madam Pomfrey was in her office when Draco reappeared, holding Sirius' discarded port key. Also touching the port key were two very angry looking adults, both bound and apparently gagged. Draco calmly removed the three wands he had stuck under his belt and used his own to stun Lucius Malfoy again, who fell backwards hard, his head cracking sickeningly against the floor. No one noticed Severus' cringe.
Professor Deesia was still curled into a tight ball, fighting back screams as best she could. The tears she couldn't control had soaked her hair and pillow. Draco turned from his father and approached Snape. "Here," he snapped, loosing the bonds and tossing Snape his wand. He was careful to keep his own wand pointing directly at the Potions Master. "Perform the counter-curse and nothing else, or you'll be very sorry." Draco tried to sound threatening, although he didn't feel very brave. He was already starting to think that his luck today just couldn't hold out.
Snape sneered at him, but kept his eyes on the boy's wand as he approached the writhing form of Professor Deesia and quietly performed the counter- curse. As soon as she'd stopped crying out, Draco jabbed his wand at Snape and yelled, "Expelliarmus!"
He quickly bound the Potions Master again, and dragged him off to lie beside Lucius, looking very smug indeed. Then he went to Professor Deesia, who was still shivering violently, as though the shadows of her pain had not left her. He saw, though, that she had a look of relief on her face. "Come here, Draco," she whispered, patting the bed. Draco sat down on the side of her bed, feeling rather out of place as she reached for his hand. He could tell it took all the strength she had left when she raised her head to say thank you. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep.
Madam Pomfrey bustled in with a full and steaming cauldron, followed by Sirius Black, Professor Dumbledore, and, much to Draco's dismay, Harry Potter. Draco jumped off the bed sheepishly, but was not able to drop Professor Deesia's hand, which suddenly seemed to be holding his like a vice. Luckily it was at that moment that she awoke, and her grip lessened enough to enable him to get free. Sirius had rushed to her upon seeing her awake and was already questioning her, as Professor Dumbledore and Harry were heading over to look at Professor Snape and Draco's father.
"Astounding," Professor Dumbledore was casting an appreciative eye at Draco, seeing that he had managed to capture not only Professor Snape, but Lucius Malfoy as well. Lucius was well known to be one of the most dangerous Death Eaters Voldemort had. "Do you mean to say, Draco, that you apprehended these two yourself?"
Draco looked at Harry, who was also looking impressed, and tried not to sound too proud. "Yeah, well, I got lucky. When I got there, Father had his back to me, and I stunned him before he could turn completely around." No one seemed to know quite what to say, so Draco continued, "I thought I'd better bring him along. I know that he - " It wasn't family loyalty that made him leave that sentence unfinished, but the open admiration that seemed to be coming at him from all sides. Draco couldn't ever remember feeling liked before.
Professor Deesia, who had, with Sirius' help, sat up in bed, looked rather crestfallen. "You have gotten yourself into a great deal of trouble just to help me, Draco." Draco began to be uncomfortable again. He didn't want her to get all mushy and embarrass him in front of everyone, but thankfully she fell silent.
"Well, I wasn't planning to go home for Easter anyway," he said, smirking. Then he added, serious again, "What will you do with him?"
It was Dumbledore who answered. "We will take him to the Ministry of Magic, and they will likely put him back in Azkaban." Draco looked at him in disbelief. Even Harry looked worried at this news.
"But he broke out of there within a few months last time!" Draco exclaimed, "And I know he saw me! He'll be free to hunt me down in a week!" No one could contradict this, and Draco fell silent, looking angrily at the floor.
Harry spoke up first, and Draco looked at him in shock. "You'll be safe at Hogwarts, no one here is going to let him get to you." Harry spoke vehemently, and Draco thought, for the first time, that maybe this was someone who'd be worth having on his side.
"And something will be arranged for the summer, Draco. You will not have to go home. There are several wizarding families who will, I am sure, be happy to take you in." Professor Deesia smiled weakly at him, then sank a little lower into her pillows. Draco noticed as he smiled back that Professor Black was pushing her hair gently out of her eyes.
Harry hoped that she didn't mean the Weasleys, who, he was sure, would be most UNhappy to take Draco in. Still, he couldn't help but think that it took a lot of guts for Malfoy to have taken on his father like that, and Snape to boot. After all, Malfoy didn't know that Snape wouldn't have really resisted, and Harry wasn't going to tell him. He'd had too many run- ins with the boy to trust him completely yet. What if he'd only turned in Lucius to gain their trust. After all, he knew he'd just break out again.
Professor Dumbledore levitated both Lucius and Snape, explaining that he would be taking them to the Ministry immediately.
"Professor, I'd like to talk to Lucius."
"I don't think that would be wise just now, Professor Deesia," Dumbledore said gravely. Sirius, sitting beside her on the bed, gripped her shoulder with white knuckled hands. Muriel stared hard at the headmaster, whose gaze didn't falter. Finally, Muriel lowered her eyes and Dumbledore continued out of the ward. She was too weak to deal with a perturbed Lucius Malfoy today anyway.
Madam Pomfrey came out of her office with a potion to ease the after- effects of the curse that Professor Deesia was still feeling. Harry wanted to talk over his suspicions with Sirius, but saw that he was engaged in a tense and hushed conversation with Professor Deesia, who paused, grimacing, to drink the purple liquid Madam Pomfrey offered her. Something told him it would be best not to interrupt.