Chapter Fourteen: Changing Sides
If they had heavy hearts when they left Hogwarts for Christmas, it was nothing compared to how Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny felt upon returning to the School. For the first time in Harry's life, the sight of his favorite home didn't cheer him, nor could the favorable results of the Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff game pull him out of his misery. Ginny and Ron could regularly be seen with puffy red eyes or deep darkening scowls on their faces, and Hermione and Harry were hard pressed to keep them from going out on a do or die mission to find Percy and seek revenge upon him. A picture of the burning Burrow, the Dark Mark hovering above the flames as the structure collapsed upon itself, appeared on the front page of the Daily Prophet the day after the incident. The adjoining article named Percy as the chief Death Eater involved in the attack, though evidence of other Death Eaters having been present was found. No other Death Eaters were named in the article.
It seemed everyone at Hogwarts had seen the article by the end of the first week back, and while most offered their condolences (which failed to produce a favorable result with Ron and Ginny), a few, including Malfoy and company, took it in turns to say things like, "Did your parents have any insurance money on that shack? Maybe they can start over with a state of the art card board box!" At which point Ginny would burst into tears on Harry's shoulder and Ron would shout something slightly obscene. By the end of January, Harry and Hermione were starting to get desperate for a way to cheer up their friends.
They spent their month of detentions discussing what had happened to Mr. Filch and what Petigrew might have been doing for Voldemort down in the Chamber of Secrets. It was clear from what they had heard from the Order meeting they had listened in on that Filch had been imprisoned at Malfoy Manor with Percy while he was being impersonated by Petigrew during the whole first half of the school year. Petigrew seemed to have vanished after being discovered by Harry and his friends, and the real Filch had returned to Hogwarts with a renewed sense of nastiness, as though his days in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor had given him a few new ideas for punishments. Mrs. Norris had returned and was nearly always right by Filch's side, as though guarding him from some possible future attack. The students, on the whole, steered clear of the cantankerous old man, and discipline among them maintained an all time high point throughout the month of January.
A few days before the Valentines Day Hogsmeade weekend, Harry received the biggest surprise of his Hogwarts career to date.
Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were studying in the Library. They had given up, temporarily, on the Ptolemy mind-bond ritual, since Harry and Ginny didn't need it and Ron and Hermione couldn't decide whether they wanted to do it. They were working on Transfiguration homework when a shadow darkened their table. Harry looked up into a pale face surrounded with white blonde hair. He would have spat the usual, "What do you want now, Malfoy?" But something about the expression on Malfoy's face, the utter desperation, the trace of tear stains hastily wiped away, the red, bloodshot eyes, took Harry back a step and made him ask instead, "Is something wrong?"
"I…" Malfoy attempted, and then the other three looked up. Hermione eyed Malfoy suspiciously, but Harry thought she must have seen the things he had, because she said nothing. Ron's eyes grew wide, and then narrowed again, and Ginny sucked in a nervous breath, apparently expecting another sling of insults. Malfoy took a slight step back, as though whatever nerve had gotten him through his first word had suddenly abandoned him.
"Malfoy, has something happened?" Harry asked bluntly, wonder and curiosity vying for his attention. "Is this about Parvati?"
"Yeah," Malfoy whispered breathlessly, "you could say it's something like that."
Harry looked at his friends and sent a thought to Ginny, 'I think he actually needs help. Keep Ron and Hermione here for me. I'll go with him and see what's up.'
We'll come looking for you if you're not back in ten minutes. Ginny was obviously not ready to trust Malfoy. Harry wasn't so sure himself, but he didn't think there was much Malfoy could do to him in the Library. Harry stood up, nodded to Ginny, and spoke to Malfoy.
"Let's go. I'll give you ten minutes."
Malfoy nodded his assent and he and Harry went to a secluded corner of the library. To say Harry was uncomfortable with the situation would be to say the Hungarian horntail he'd encountered in his fourth year was a slight annoyance. Green eyes bore into grey, searching for a hint that this could be some sort of trick. Malfoy sniffed, took a deep breath, and began his story.
"Over Christmas, the Dark Lord came to my parents' house," he said, getting right to the point. "I was here at the time, but they sent me an owl today. He…he hurt my mum, put her under the Cruciatus curse, because she hadn't trained me properly to become a Death Eater. Father says it's because she wouldn't let him send me to Durmstrang. He plans to hurt Parvati. I think he intends to kill me if I don't join."
"Wow," was all Harry could think to say. To himself he thought, 'Welcome to my world.'
"I know we have never been friends…"
"How can I help?" Harry asked bluntly, his tone letting Malfoy know that he was aware of their mutual dislike for each other.
"I need…I need to know…to know how to…fight him." The last two words were filled with a mixture of determination and absolute terror. Harry stood awe-struck for a few moments. Draco Malfoy was asking Harry Potter how to defend himself against Voldemort. Harry honestly never thought this day would come. He had always expected Malfoy to join his father as a Death Eater, either out of the desire to see Voldemort win, or out of utter fear. But fear, it seemed, had driven Malfoy in the opposite direction, and here he was, asking Harry, of all people, for help.
As if to answer Harry's unspoken question, Malfoy whispered, "Dumbledore said I should join the D.A."
Harry didn't speak the rest of that day. He would nod or shake his head in response to his friends' questions about Malfoy. Something about what had happened in the library not only rendered Harry speechless, but it somehow pulled Ron and Ginny, at least temporarily, out of their misery, having had it replaced by intense curiosity. But Harry wouldn't utter a word. When he felt Ginny's probing in his mind, he used the Occlumency skills he'd been learning from Dumbledore since the beginning of the new year to block her out of that part of his mind.
Their curiosity gave way to frustration that evening in the Common Room where they, along with Neville, who had invited Luna in, sat by the fire as usual. Harry stared into the flames, wishing, more than he had ever done before, that he could see Sirius's head there, just one more time, and talk to him about Malfoy. What would he have done if it had been Snape? Then he remembered that Sirius had been in Azkaban when Snape joined the Order. But Lupin must have known. Harry looked around at his friends.
"Do any of you have any floo powder?" Harry asked suddenly.
"What do you need floo powder for, Harry?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"I just need to talk to Lupin," Harry answered defensively. "I'm not going to try to leave the castle or anything."
"You can't enter or exit Hogwarts through the Common Room fires anyway," Hermione informed him. "It's in Hogwarts: A History. But I suppose none of you have read it yet, have you."
"I have," said Luna, as though it had been a romance novel rather than a history book.
"I started it just last week," Ron said proudly.
"Floo Powder?" Harry reminded, and Ron looked away from Hermione and responded.
"I'd bet McGonagall would have some she would give you. I can't see why she wouldn't let you talk to Lupin."
"Is it curfew time yet? Can we go now?" Harry asked.
"Fifteen minutes to spare, Harry," Hermione warned.
"All right, how about if just Ginny and I go. It'll be faster that way. We'll be back within fifteen minutes."
Harry and Ginny hurried down the hall to Professor McGonagall's office and Harry pounded on the door. The sound of scuffling feet was punctuated by a muffled, "Just a moment," from behind the door. A few seconds later Professor McGonagall swung her office door open and looked down at her students furiously.
"What is the meaning of this, breaking my door down at this hour?"
"Please, Professor," Harry began, "I need some floo powder. I need to talk to Lupin."
"Is this some emergency, Potter?"
"Well, yes, and no. It's about the D.A. I need some really good advice, and I don't think anyone can answer my question better than he can."
"I see, very well then. Come in for a moment." The stern Professor reentered her office and Harry and Ginny followed her in. Harry was forcibly reminded of the time Umbridge had been there, sitting in on Harry's career advice with his head of house. The memory made him all the more determined to talk to Lupin.
"I will allow you to use my fire, Potter, to ensure that you are not overheard and to make certain that you do not continue this conversation into all hours of the night. The powder is on the mantle. I'll be grading some assignments at my desk. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know."
Harry nodded and thanked the professor and looked on the mantle for the jar of floo powder. Securing a handful, he knelt down on a cushion Ginny extracted from the nearby sofa chair and tossed in the powder. "Remus Lupin, 12 Grimmauld Place," Harry said, and stuck his head into the fire.
When the swirling had stopped and the dizziness left him, he found himself staring into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. The twins were there, sipping butterbeers mournfully.
"Harry, ol' chap!" Fred exclaimed upon seeing his head in the fire, "Loo' George, I's Harry,"
"Oi, Harry, wha' ya doin ineh fire?" George slurred, and Harry wondered what was in those bottles besides butterbeer.
"Could you guys go and get Lupin for me?" Harry pleaded, "I really need to talk to him."
"Righ' away, Mate," said Fred, and he and George stumbled out of the kitchen. They were gone for what seemed like an eternity before Harry heard the kitchen door open and close again. Lupin knelt down and greeted Harry cheerily.
"Hey, how's it going, Harry?"
"Fine, though I think you better sober those two up before Mrs. Weasley catches them," Harry replied.
"They've been doing that a lot since the Burrow burned down. It's been all I can do to keep them away from Molly when they're like that."
Sure enough, in the background, shouts of "What on earth are you two thinking? How is the Order to count on you if you can't stay in a standing position?!" came pounding into their ears from somewhere upstairs. Lupin sighed, and Harry figured he'd better get on with his business before the twins were turned to drunken toads by their mother's raging wand.
"Remus, I have a small problem with the D.A., and I need your advice," Harry said quickly, and Lupin's attention returned to Harry immediately.
"What's the problem? I'll help any way I can."
"It's Malfoy. He wants to join."
"What?!" Lupin asked incredulously, as Harry had anticipated he would. "You're not going to let him are you?"
Harry quickly explained all that had transpired in the Library that afternoon and Lupin listened with rapt attention. Harry watched Lupin's face as he considered the situation carefully. "Anyway," Harry concluded, "I thought you'd be able to relate. You must have felt like I do when Snape joined the Order."
"I didn't know about Snape's change of loyalties until several months after he had been inducted. It's probably best that I didn't. By the time we both attended a meeting at the same time, he had completed his first intelligence mission and came to report on it. It was the fact that he had already risked his neck to help the Order that kept me from killing him on the spot. I had been quite certain before then that he had been involved when your parents were killed. You're going to have a time convincing your friends that Malfoy can be trusted." Lupin's answer only served to confirm Harry's fears.
"That's just it, how do I do that?" he asked.
"Put him through the Shrieking Shack test," Lupin suggested, "If he'll willingly allow you all to cast hexes at him and not harm any of you in the mean time, he's trustworthy. It wouldn't hurt to put him under a wizard's oath either."
"Good idea," Harry agreed. "Thanks for listening."
"No problem, Harry. Thanks for asking me. That's what I'm here for. I'm honored that you would come to me."
Harry nodded and said his goodbyes before pulling his head through the swirling, dizzying vortex of the floo system and sitting upright at last on the cushion on the floor of McGonagall's office. Both the professor and Ginny were staring at him, their chins dropping to the floor and their expressions twin masks of disbelief. McGonagall quickly turned away, pursing her lips and shaking her head, but Ginny asked pointedly, "Malfoy is joining the D.A.?!"
"Yeah," Harry told her, "Now you see why I didn't tell you guys. Ron would have gone ballistic!"
They returned in silence to the Common Room and determined not to talk about this with Ron and Hermione until it was absolutely necessary. When they arrived back at Gryffindor tower they waved off Ron and Hermione's questions and headed straight for their dorms. Harry wrote a note to Malfoy inviting him to the Shrieking Shack for induction into the D.A. during the coming Hogsmeade weekend. He would take it to the Owlry in the morning and send it out with Hedwig. He had had precious few errands on which to send his faithful pet, and he hoped she would not take offense at this one. He tucked the note under his pillow to keep it out of Ron's view and climbed into bed.
Hogsmeade was decorated in the most cheerful pinks, reds and whites the shop owners could come up with. The softly falling snow hovering over the whitened pavement was almost enough to hypnotize Harry into forgetting what he'd have to do come two o'clock. He still had not divulged his secret to his friends, and he was having a time convincing himself not to ditch them when he went to the Shrieking Shack to meet Malfoy. It was only his own lack of trust in his Slytherin nemesis that kept him from doing so. There was always a chance he'd need their help up there. 1:30pm rolled around, and Harry finally had to do the unavoidable thing he'd been dreading.
"Ron, Hermione, we need to go to the Shrieking Shack now," he said warily, as though he were inviting them to his own funeral.
"Why, Harry?" Hermione asked simply.
"There is a new member of the D.A. who needs to be tested. I want you to do what you did with the first set of recruits."
"But you didn't test the others who joined after that," Ron said looking confused. "Who is this person?"
"Someone whose loyalty and skill level are both a bit in question. I am almost convinced he's trustworthy. I need him to prove it. The Shrieking Shack test will help." Harry stood up and began walking out to avoid further questions, and the others obediently followed him. They arrived at the Shack a little early, but Malfoy was already waiting. For the first time since they had all entered Hogwarts, Malfoy's cronies were no where to be seen, and Malfoy himself actually smiled slightly as he watched them approach. The smile quickly turned to a frown, though, when Ron saw who they'd be testing.
"This is our new member?!" Ron blurted out, "He just wants to join so he can tell You-Know-Who all about us. He'll rat us out, Harry!"
"Harry, this can't be right," Hermione added, incredulity and malice exuding from every part of her being.
"Take your places inside," Harry commanded them, and with worried and affronted looks, they did. Ginny gave Harry a reassuring pat on his shoulder, and then joined them. Harry eyed Malfoy searchingly.
"Have your wand?" Harry asked.
"Of course."
"I'm going to send you into the Shack. Ron, Hermione and Ginny will act like your assailants, and your job is to get through from the front door to the back. I'll be waiting at the back door to undo any hexes you get caught with while you're in there."
Malfoy looked at Harry warily for a moment, and then proceeded to the front door. Harry watched as he entered and then walked around the building to wait. He opened his mind link with Ginny so she could tell him what was happening inside.
Malfoy's in. He's going upstairs. Hermione's up there.
There was a shout, a loud thump, and all became quiet again. 'What happened?'
Malfoy almost got caught by Hermione's stunner, but he dodged it just in time. He ran into a bureau, but otherwise, all is well. He's headed toward Ron in the kitchen.
Ron's hiding in the pantry and Malfoy is headed right past it.
A crash, a bang, and a few sparks emitted from the kitchen window. More sparks followed, and Harry was sure they were in the midst of a duel. He knew Ron could skunk Malfoy, but wondered how it was going. 'Can you see them?'
No, hold on…OK, I can see them now. He's not bad, you know.
'Who, Malfoy or Ron?'
Both, really, but I meant Malfoy. Seeing this, I'd say he's been studying up a bit. Whoa, he almost got Ron with that one. Here goes, I'm headed in. Let's see if he can get past my bat bogey, eh?
Harry chuckled to himself and moved closer to the kitchen window in hopes of seeing the duel. He peered in just as they were moving into the parlor. Harry quickly rounded the house to get a better view. Ron and Malfoy seemed to be taking out all of their pent up animosity upon each other. Both faces were red with fury, eyes set in concentration. Ginny snuck in from behind and cast the bat bogey at Malfoy. He must have heard her voice, because he ducked just in time. He pulled himself up and whirled around. He sent a quick stunner at Ginny, who jumped to her right to avoid it, and then quickly sent another over his shoulder at Ron. Ron, having not anticipated Malfoy's backwards move, was hit in the shoulder and slumped to the floor. Malfoy quickly turned, jumped over Ron's prone form and dashed for the back door. He was two steps from his exit when Hermione caught him off guard. She had transfigured his shoes into ice skates and he tripped. The point of his left skate wedged itself into the floor and Malfoy howled in fury. He aimed his wand at the skates and cast a spell to remove them. He hopped up in his sock feet and wrenched the door open. Harry walked back around the house to the back door and smiled widely.
"Well, that was more fun than we've had in ages, Malfoy. I hope you enjoyed it as well," Harry said as Malfoy glared at him. "Hermione," he called and she exited the house, smiling. "Could you fix Draco's shoes please?"
"Of course, Harry," she said, and aimed her wand. Malfoy flinched a bit, but otherwise stood still. Harry entered the Shack to revive Ron. After a quick, "Enervate," he and Ron and Ginny joined Malfoy and Hermione on the back porch.
"You're rather good," Harry offered.
"Whatever. I suppose you all thought this a terrific laugh at my expense," Malfoy said angrily.
"Look, Draco, we put the others through the same routine. And you can't blame us for wanting to test your loyalties. I could have blocked you if you had sent any really harmful spells at my friends. But you didn't, just stunners and the like." Harry hoped he was pacifying Malfoy.
"So, am I in?" was the simple request.
"Yes, and you'll be in the higher level group with Hermione and me," Harry responded, almost proudly.
"The mudblood is in my group?" Malfoy looked disgusted.
"Hermione assists me in instructing 'your' group, and I'll thank you to call her by name from now on. There are several muggle-borns in our group, and they will be given respect as members of the D.A., is that clear, Malfoy?" Harry's temper was kindled slightly, but he had no desire to push Malfoy too far away. He had a sense that the Slytherin could prove to be a great asset at some point in the future. 'A younger Snape,' he thought, and Ginny seemed to agree.
He's a bit grumpy, but he seems trustworthy.
Malfoy stared into Harry's eyes a moment, and a flash of recognition crossed the Slytherin's face. "You trust me, even though…even with all our history!"
"For now, yes. You're in, as soon as you sign the list. I also need one more thing from you."
"What's that?"
"I need you to swear a wizard's oath that you will remain faithful to Dumbledore, and to me, as an ally against Voldemort, for the rest of your life." Harry watched as the impact of his words sunk into Malfoy's mind. He had expected surprise, fear, even rejection. Instead he saw a resolve such as he had only witnessed within the hearts of his dearest friends during some of the most dangerous moments of their lives. It bolstered Harry's heart to see that.
"I solemnly swear and give my word as a wizard that I will remain faithful to Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter in the struggle against the Dark Lord for the remainder of my life," Malfoy swore, and it was enough for Harry. Hermione produced the parchment with the names of all the D.A. members and 'Draco Malfoy,' was added to the bottom of the list. Harry looked at the signature and was reminded of the bit of history from the British/American war he had learned in grammar school back in Surrey – the signature of John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence.
Malfoy seemed to follow Harry's gaze to the signature and answered the unasked question, "So that if the Dark Lord or any Death Eater ever gets hold of that list, my name will be the first one they see. I hope, if that ever happens, it'll be my father who sees it first!"
Harry stared into the face of his former enemy. The resolve, the sureness, the calm determination was so new to this boy's character. Harry had to wonder, "What happened, Malfoy? What made you change sides?"
"It wasn't so much changing sides as choosing sides," Malfoy replied, "And Parvati and my mum had a lot to do with it. But mostly, I don't want to become like my father. He is a horrible man. I would do anything to be rid of his image."
Harry was reminded of Barty Crouch, Jr., who had done the same kind of switch, but in the other direction. "You may look like your father, Draco, and carry his name. But you must be your mother's son at heart! She was a Black, like Sirius, after all."
"Yes, yes she was, still is I think, though she can't show it to anyone now. I'm sorry about Sirius. I know he meant something to you."
"He was my Godfather, and my friend. Look, I think we'd better get back. Dinner will be waiting for us. Hermione, give him a galleon."
"You pay people to join this group?" Malfoy asked with a smirk as Hermione reached into her pocket and withdrew the coin attached to a piece of parchment.
"Yeah, well, read the directions before you go spending it, or you won't know when to come to meetings," Harry laughed, and he motioned for his friends to follow. They all descended the hill toward the road leaving Malfoy to his thoughts. Harry glanced back once and noticed the Slytherin watching them, and almost thought he saw a glimmer of envy before the characteristic Malfoy smirk returned. Harry nodded to the new D.A. member, who returned the gesture and then left in a different direction.
Did we make a mistake today?
'No, I think we just turned the tide of this war.'
How do you come to that conclusion?
'It's just a hunch, but I really think this is the first step toward something huge. We'll just have to wait and see if I'm right.'
I hope you are right. I'd hate to see him switch sides again at the very moment we need him most.
"He swore an oath, a wizard's oath. His word will bind him forever. He wouldn't have done that if he weren't sure of his decision. Still, I wouldn't count on him being friendly with us from now on.'
No, of course not. He has a reputation to maintain, doesn't he?
'Exactly.'
The foursome had arrived at the Entrance Hall, and they were proceeding into the Great Hall when the grim face of the headmaster caught Harry's attention. What surprised Harry more was that Lupin was up at the head table, standing opposite Dumbledore, with what looked like a rat dangling from his fingers.
Hermione seemed to have noticed as well because she suddenly gasped and asked, "That's not…Scabbers…is it?"
Ron looked up then, and studied the scene carefully before responding, "Sure looks like him!"
"Let's go see about it," Harry added, and they all walked quickly to the front of the room.
"Lupin?" Harry called, and Lupin's tearstained, drawn-out face turned to peer down at him.
"Harry…"
"Is that who I think it is?" Harry asked cryptically.
"Yes," was the flat reply, and Dumbledore suddenly looked surprisingly old and forlorn. "It's Petigrew. I found him down in the Chamber…"
"Remus, not here," the headmaster stopped him. "Come to my office. We'll discuss this there. Harry, all of you, not a word of this to anyone, not even the D.A., is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said.
"Of course, sir," Hermione added as Ron and Ginny nodded.
They all found seats at the Gryffindor table and began their meal in silence. A few people asked them about the former professor's presence, but they just replied that he had come to talk to the headmaster and said nothing more. When Seamus asked about Ron's former pet rat, Harry was a bit concerned, but Ron had a perfect reply.
"Scabbers died in our third year, Seamus, so that had to have been some other. I'm sure it was nothing important," he had said, and Seamus had accepted that and gone back to his dinner. But Harry and his friends, though they suspected they'd never find out, wondered what had really happened involving Petigrew's demise down in the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry attempted to get the story of what happened to Petigrew in the Chamber out of Tonks, thinking Lupin might have told her, but to no avail. The two were clearing up after one of Harry's classes, a group of third years who were really starting to get the hang of the Diffindo spell, having successfully torn apart several of the cushions Harry had borrowed for the class to use. He and Tonks were just finishing repairing them all when Harry got the final word from her on the matter.
"Harry, I cannot divulge Order business to you, no matter how many times you ask. When you are of age, join the Order, then I'll tell you all about it."
"But Tonks," Harry tried one last desperate time.
"No, and if you ask again, it'll be Professor Tonks and a detention cleaning the bedpans in the hospital wing!" she insisted.
Harry gave up and pointed his wand at the last ripped cushion. "Repairo," he muttered grumpily and it sewed itself up. The stuffing that hung out between the stitches was evidence of Harry's mood. He trudged unhappily up to the Common Room for the break he shared with Ginny on Wednesdays and was grateful to find her waiting for him.
"Looks like you've had a bad day," Ginny commented as she rose from her chair.
"Yeah, Tonks still won't tell me what happened to Petigrew, and Potions was a lovely fiasco," Harry replied.
"What happened in potions?" Ginny queried, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed.
"Neville and I were doing just fine. He was stirring, and I swear the board said counter-clockwise. I threw in the lace-wings and the whole thing turned a sickly brown color. Snape evanesced the whole thing, and when I looked again, the board said to stir clockwise after adding the lace-wings. I swear Snape changed it just for us. He hasn't been able to fault us for anything in class since the school year began, and I think he was in need of a fix! It was just grating on him that he hadn't messed us up yet."
"Heaven only knows why Snape does what he does, but at least it didn't explode on you. Remember my exploding cheering potion from last week? That was a doozy. Lost me fifty points! I was lucky not to get a detention."
"Yeah, but the purple hair you got from it was gorgeous!" Harry chuckled, and Ginny's smile broke into a laugh. Time slowed for a moment as Harry watched her laugh and he wished he could stop time altogether and keep her that happy forever.
"Hey Mate," Ron called as he climbed through the portrait hole followed by Hermione. "Did she tell you anything?"
"Not a thing," Harry replied frowning, not from the subject of Tonks' lack of info, but because he'd been pulled out of his blissful moment with Ginny.
"Sorry mate, that's too bad," Ron said, mimicking Harry's frown, but half a second later his smile had returned. "Hey, let's have a game of chess! Who wants to lose to me today?"
They all laughed and Harry sat down to play.
There were other things to think about besides Pettigrew's demise. D.A. meetings had gotten interesting now that Malfoy had joined the group. The first day had been rather difficult. As soon as Malfoy had entered the room, several members stood and aimed their wands at him, assuming he had come to cause trouble. If Harry hadn't been there, they might have hexed him into oblivion.
'It's all right," Harry had said, "he's our newest member."
"You have to be joking, Harry," Ernie McMillan had said incredulously. "You inducted Draco Malfoy?!"
Harry took out the list and showed everyone in the advanced group the signature at the bottom. A few gasped, others just stared.
"Look you guys, Malfoy has sworn a wizard's oath to remain faithful to our side of this war against Voldemort. He has taken a great risk to join us, and I expect you to treat him with the same respect you treat everyone else in here."
The room quieted down then, but Harry noticed from time to time that students who were paired with Malfoy tended to either falter out of fear of him or attack him far more vehemently than they would have anyone else. Malfoy took these attitudes with a grain of salt, seeming not to care in the slightest what they thought of him. It was only when Harry set Hermione to duel against Malfoy that things got ugly.
"I will not duel the Mudblood!" Malfoy had objected crossly.
"Malfoy, I will not allow you to refer to Hermione in that manner!" Harry barked, and many around him paled, but Malfoy didn't budge.
"My apologies to the Mudblood," he mocked, and Harry's temper rose a notch. Hermione was understandably angry, but she kept her cool just the same.
"Expelliarmus," she shouted, and Malfoy's wand instantly shot toward her. Malfoy threw her a nasty sneer. She tossed his wand back to him and he wiped it off thoroughly on his robes.
"Serpensortia," the Slytherin called, and a large asp appeared in front of Hermione. Harry walked forward and caught the snake's eye.
"You will not attack anyone," Harry commanded the snake, and it hissed angrily at him. Harry racked his brain for the memory of what Snape had done to destroy the one that Malfoy had conjured against himself back in their second year. Unable to remember it, he settled for caging the snake in a book Hermione obligingly transfigured into a basket with a lid. He sent Colin Creevey to take it to Snape and then returned his attention to Malfoy.
"OK, that was downright obnoxious," Harry reprimanded him, and Malfoy attempted to look affronted.
"Me, obnoxious? Come on Potter, why don't we see what you can do against me?"
Harry knew that in this provoked state of mind he wouldn't be on his par, but he was still sure that he could skunk Malfoy blindfolded. "You're on," he agreed and the two bowed to start the duel. They battled until Harry had pinned Malfoy with a well timed Petrificus Totalis, and knelt on the Slytherin's chest.
"Apologize to Hermione properly," Harry commanded him before muttering, "finite incantatum."
"All right, fine, I'm sorry Granger," Malfoy sighed defeatedly.
Time demanded they end the meeting at that moment, and Harry dismissed the group without taking his eyes off of Malfoy until he had exited the room.
"I'm sorry about all of that, Hermione," Harry said when he was sure Malfoy was out of earshot.
"It's nothing new," Hermione dismissed it, "still, I had hoped we would see less of that now that he's on our side."
"Well, I guess old habits die hard. He's no fan of Voldemort, but his views on Muggle-borns are the same as always. If he does it again, though, I'll teach him a harsher lesson than I did today!"
Ron and Ginny came in after a few minutes, followed by Neville and Luna, as it was their custom to return Luna to the Ravenclaw Common Room and then proceed to their own together after each meeting. Now and then Neville would invite Luna up to Gryffindor tower instead and then walk her down to Ravenclaw's portrait hole later.
"What's going on in here?" Ron asked when he saw their grave expressions.
"Malfoy, his first meeting was a load of fun!" Hermione answered, and Ron got the rundown from her as they walked along the corridors.
"Well, I can't say I expected much else from that slimy bastard, but I had hoped he would make some effort to be civil," Ginny commented as they reached the Ravenclaw portrait hole. They all said their goodbyes to Luna and moved on toward Gryffindor tower.
"If he ever does it again, I'll beat his brains in," Ron continued the conversation.
"Oh Ron, there's no need for such violence," Hermione sighed, "We can't ask him to change all his political views just because he honestly wants to defend himself against Vol…demort."
"I think it's within our rights to ask him to treat other D.A. members with more respect than that, though," Harry commented. "I, for one, will not allow our group to become another battlefield between us and him. I won't kick him out, but I'll assign him to Neville and Luna's group if he ever calls you by that name again."
"Mine?" squeaked Neville unappreciatively.
"Well, you and Luna are at least both pure-bloods," Harry responded.
"That doesn't mean he likes us any better," Neville argued.
"No, I suppose not. So what do you all propose I do about him?"
"Maybe you should just hex him from behind anytime you catch him using that word, or any other like it," Ginny suggested, an evil grin playing on her face.
"That's kind of foul isn't it?" Harry asked, unable to mask his approval of such action.
"He's no less foul saying those things," Ron argued, and Neville shook his head up and down vigorously.
"All right, that settles it then, that is if you agree as well, Hermione?" Harry eyed her as she considered it.
"Sounds fair to me," she said. "If he can be underhanded, so can we."
Harry had hexed Malfoy four or five times during the next few meetings for repeating the "Mudblood" taunts, and Malfoy seemed to get the message after that. Gradually, the Slytherin began to be accustomed to fighting both against and alongside Hermione. But that didn't mean anyone could mistake them for friends. Harry was repeatedly reminded of the time Sirius had held Snape at wand point when Snape had come to tell Harry he'd be taking Occlumency lessons with him. They both had been in the Order for years, but had never learned to get along. Harry thought it would probably be the same between Malfoy and Hermione. He hoped for the thousandth time that Malfoy would prove to be worth all the trouble he caused.