Disclaimer: Standard, J.K. Rowling owns the universe and the characters that appear in her books. I own my additions to it…yadda yadda yadda. For the full disclaimer (that applies to the whole story not just the first chapter, see chapter one).
Chapter 2: Unexpected Unpleasantness
A boy lay awake in his bed. He was normal enough looking about the right shape if not a few sizes too small. The only thing that set this boy apart from any other boy was the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Harry Potter was too irritated to even pick up his glasses, having had yet another dream about Voldemort. He had no way of knowing whether there was any truth to these dreams and so he now barely remembered them. Apathy is a form of Occlumency I suppose. He mused to himself. Cynicism too… Although I wouldn't want to find out if he can cast Imperius on me from far. I have been able to shake it off so far but that may change.
He let his thoughts drift to his OWL results that he got the previous Thursday. He was surprised that he had even gotten an E on his Potions OWL, but he had hoped for an O. He would now have to rethink his future as an Auror as there was no way that Snape was going to let Harry into his class without the HIGHEST of awards. And even then Harry was sure that he would try to find someway of getting out of it. If Snape was good at anything it was manipulating things. And he had gotten an O on his Defense against the Dark Arts Owl and Es on both Charms and Transfiguration. Why did the Potions professor have to be Snape?
His other OWLs were unimpressive. He had done incredibly badly on his Astronomy OWL (although he had somehow managed to just pass it), but that was because of Umbridge's attack on Hagrid which wasted at least 10 minutes of his exam time. It didn't change the OWL result, but it made him feel better and he figured he wasn't the only one to do worse because of that. Everyone was distracted. He had surprisingly managed to get an A on divination… How he didn't know but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was because of his visions of Voldemort or simply because he was the "Boy who lived" and not because of the test. In care of magical creatures he just missed an E getting a high A, he had basically failed history of magic having gotten a horrible D, although that was most likely do to his passing out partway into the exam, and in herbology he had gotten a respectable E, although he would have preferred an O.
Well, I could go for Arthur Weasley's job. It might be interesting to see what things people enchant. Or maybe I could become an Unmentionable? A memory of Sirius appeared in his head, the department of mysteries was nothing more then a grave to him, making him shake off that idea just as quickly as he got it.
Harry's summer had been horrible, even despite his almost daily contact with the Order and Moody's threat over the Dursleys' heads. He kept having random dreams of Voldemort doing things which he had learned from experience that he could not trust. They kept changing everyday and were becoming more of a nuisance then anything. The Dursleys handled this situation the same way they handled anything related to Harry that they could not control. They ignored him interacting with him only in the manners required to keep a 16 year growing boy alive. Although Harry wasn't even sure he was growing anymore. Dudley was now bigger then ever, and everything seemed roughly the same to him as it had last year.
The problem with this strategy of non interaction is just that, no interaction. Harry found himself missing being chided by his aunt and uncle and teased by Dudley. At least that was something. Now he felt lonelier then ever and the daily letters were making it worse. Everyone was off doing things except him. Hermione was finally spending a summer at home. Something her parents seemed happy about and she kept writing him about how nice it has been to finally see them again and how proud of her they are and other such muggle mundanities. She had gotten perfect Os on all of her OWLs except astronomy, where her practical examination was a high E, but her overall average was still an O. He remembered an entire letter complaining about that, he had laughed through the entire letter. Especially at the P.S. at the bottom saying: 'And you better not be laughing at this Harry Potter! Those exams were important!"
Ron's letters, on the other hand were always about Ginny's newest prospective boyfriend or the fact that he had gotten better at quidditch and could now block Charlie's shots while avoiding bludgers hit by Fred and George. As expected Ron had conveniently omitted any reference to his OWLs. Harry was sure this was because of either embarrassment, or simply because without Hermione neither Ron nor himself had much care about them anyway with the exception of what NEWTs they would be taking next year. Of Ron's letters Harry was often more amused by his tirades about Ginny then anything else. Those letters kept getting more and more ridiculous as he over heard Ginny talk about at least four different boys at school in a few days. Harry had a hunch that Ginny was doing this on purpose. She seemed to take a bit more after Fred and George and anyone with eyes could see Ron's responses to any of his sister's prospects. Besides Harry himself of course but that had never been real, or even false for that matter.
Harry hadn't been able to play Quidditch last year and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to play again. So the only excitement he got out of those letters was Ron's, good to be sure but short lived. Besides he knew Ron was a good Keeper having practiced with him on multiple occasions, he just needed to stop worrying about what everyone else thought of him and play for the reason he signed up in the first place, because it is fun.
He had more so been sending letters to the Order then getting them back. At first his letters were fairly long and involved. But the weeks rolled by and he had less and less to say. Eventually he simply started writing the same thing over and over again:
I'm not dead. They aren't treating me horribly. Hope to see you soon.
-Harry
The only reason he even bothered to do this is because he knew that if he didn't that Moody would show up and there was no telling what he would do or who he would bring. He was sure that they would catch on to his misery at some point this summer but until then all he could do was wait.
And so there he was, alone in his room in number 4 privet drive, wallowing in his own self pity and boredom trying to decide whether his growing hunger was worth the effort it would require to get food when he heard the front doorbell ring. The Dursleys were not in having left early this morning for some such event that Harry had not been told about. And so he jumped up tripped over his own blankets and landed smack on his glasses on his bedside table, hearing a small crack. Harry swore as he picked up his now broken frames and tried to get them on his face in such a way that they would stay on by themselves unfortunately the earpieces were quite ruined and he had to resort to holding the lenses in front of his eyes like a aristocrat with a monocle as he ran down the steps hearing the doorbell ring for the 20th time.
"Ok! Ok I'm coming!" Harry yelled irritably, wishing he could use his wand to fix his useless glasses frame. He was just about to give the neighbor who must be coming over to borrow a cup of sugar or something a piece of his mind but when he opened the door and then opened his mouth to speak, no words came out. Instead he let out a surprised breath. Severus Snape was at his doorstep, and that was not it. Standing behind him was Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.
"What are you doing here!?" He spat out surprised and angrily.
"Why delivering your new houseguests of course." Snape said. "Oh what better birthday present to the boy who lived, son of James Potter, then delivering him his arch nemesis to live with him for a month!" He had a happy but very vindictive tone and looked almost like he was about to start skipping.
"Oh and Potter, before you four get all cozy I need a word with you in private." It was not a request, Snape's voice was returning to his normal less happy vindictive self. Harry wasn't surprised at this. If Severus Snape were to be described in one word, vindictive would be the one to use. It seemed to be the only emotion that he showed effortlessly.
"Ok, we can talk in my room. Hey ferret," Malfoy's glare intensified at that comment, "Crabbe, Goyle. If you really are staying here for the summer, which you must be because I have never seen Snape…"
"That's Professor Snape to you, unless you don't intend to come back to Hogwarts this year?" Snape's smile looked a bit too hopeful.
"Ok, PROFESSOR Snape this happy and other people's…MY misery seems to be the thing which causes that the most. Then go to the kitchen, get out what little food you find and don't touch anything else!"
"Snape…"
"Did I NOT just tell you to call me Professor?" Despite the angry tone in Snape's voice Harry could tell from his slight smirk that he was loving this.
"Ok then, PROFESSOR Snape. We can talk in my room." With that Harry let them all pass, slammed the door shut and stomped up to his room. He did not need this right now; certainly not on his birthday, but it was happening none the less and so he was going to have to live with it.
When they got into Harry's room and shut the door Snape started before Harry could even ask why they were there. "Draco, Vincent and Gregory have been sent here by Dumbledore to be protected from the Dark Lord and their parents by the vary protection that protects you. It is Dumbledore's hope that he will not be able to penetrate here for the same reason he hasn't been able to in the past.
"I on the other hand volunteered to drop them off because I needed to speak with you anyway. It has come to my attention that you are interested in becoming an Auror is that right Potter?"
"Yes sir" Harry wasn't sure where this was going but his chances of becoming an Auror seemed less hopeless then it had minutes ago before Snape had shown up.
"Well then you will need to take my NEWTs class then. But as you are probably quite aware I only take Outstanding OWLs in my class, which you are not. However given the situation at the end of the year and the fact that I wouldn't be a very good Death Eater if I passed up the chance to be near the Boy Who Lived and of course my, like everyone else, hatred for Umbridge who has gotten even me and Minerva to agree to bend the rules for even YOU." Harry wasn't certain where this was going so he remained silent. A small glimmer of hope rested in his otherwise desperate mind. "So with all of this in mind I have devised a test of my own to see if you are ready. I heard from your testing instructor that you got the Polyjuice potion surprisingly accurate given the state of the rest of your answers. I have a few guesses as to HOW you managed that one however they are irrelevant now. What is relevant though is my test. I want you to make me a Polyjuice potion by next term. You must gather the ingredients yourself. I would make you get the recipe too. But I know you would just run to Ms. Granger anyway and so the point would be lost. Given this, here are the potion's instructions." He handed Harry a piece of parchment with a few things scribbled on it. "You may check it with Ms. Granger if you wish but I assure you that everything is there. I look forward to your unsuccessful attempt at this Potter, and good day to you."
Harry squinted his eyes at Snape. There had to be a catch, Severus Snape would not just come in here and hand Harry this easy a ticket back into his class and his dream job without a catch. And he certainly wouldn't seriously be telling Harry to have a good day.
Harry followed Snape to the front door and as he stepped outside Snape turned to Harry, smiled evilly and said "Your aunt and uncle will be getting a letter shortly stating those three's situation. In the mean time they are your responsibility and I will hold you personally responsible if anything happens to them." And with that he looked around to see if anyone was looking and then when he saw it was clear disapparated without another word leaving Harry himself to sort out what was bound to be a horrible mess. Blast! I should have asked him to fix my glasses while he was here! Oh well, just another thing that I will have to deal with now. Bleh, he WOULD leave me in charge of this. Dumbledore certainly wouldn't.
Before heading to the Kitchen he got some tape and jury-rigged glasses so that they would at least stay on his face of their own accord, the lenses were surprisingly unscathed. After that he turned his thoughts to his more immediate problem.
Draco Malfoy was sitting at the kitchen table looking rather annoyed in what Harry now noticed to be a quite well picked set of muggle clothing consisting of a nice flannel shirt and jeans. Crabbe and Goyle were wearing t-shirts instead of flannel and of course bigger jeans, but they also looked so normal that anyone looking in here wouldn't be the wiser. Harry got his first real look at them since they got here, his previous attention mostly on Snape. All three of them had grown a lot more then he had over the last year and the first month of summer. He hadn't really noticed much at school as he was always in a group or had something else on his mind. But now with them alone in his house he really saw them for the first time in a while.
Malfoy had finally grown noticeably taller then Harry, the top of Harry's head was at about his eye level. Goyle on the other hand towered over Harry, in what would be a rather intimidating fashion were these three at all able to intimidate him. He was so much taller than Harry that were he to stare straight forward Harry would be staring somewhere between his torso and abdomen. The top of his head almost reached his chin. Crabbe was only slightly shorter and slightly stockier than Goyle, although they were both quite big. Harry's head came to about Crabbe's mouth, making him look like a little kid to anyone who might be watching, especially with his smooth hairless face.
"Well, I have many guesses as to why you are here but frankly I don't care." Harry started irritably. "I am going to have to somehow convince my uncle and aunt to take you three in for however long Dumbledore wants you to be here and that is going to be enough work already."
"Living with filthy muggles…" Draco started.
Harry cut him off, "For once I agree with you, the Dursleys' ARE filthy muggles. But it wouldn't be a good idea for you to mention that you have ANYTHING to do with the wizarding world at all or they will never let you stay here."
"Hmm…" For the first time in Harry's life Crabbe seemed to be thinking to him.
"Come off it! We don't NEED to stay here scar head, we are quite capable of taking care of ourselves!" Malfoy seemed to be unshaken by his current situation. He seemed more angry and annoyed than anything else.
Harry smirked. "I'd like to see you live on your own for a month on the run from death eaters while not using magic. You're still under age and I bet the ministry of magic would find out where you were right quick if you cast any worthy spell. And of course after that the Death Eaters would know very soon after that as I find it hard to believe that they do not have a spy there at the moment."
Malfoy grumbled but apparently couldn't think of a rebuttal for that so he just sat there.
"Harry, what is going to happen to us?" Goyle asked, he looked completely different to Harry then he usually did. Whereas normally he looked incredibly intimidating right now he looked a tad frightened. Not terrified by any means but the kind of frightened you get when everything around you changes and there isn't really anything you can do about it. Crabbe looked similarly non-threatening but he looked more complacent that scared.
"I honestly wish I knew. I have no idea how in the world I am going to convince my aunt and uncle to let you stay here especially after Dumbledore's letter arrives. That will just confirm what they will suspect all along, that you are part of the world they most despise." Harry was calming down, becoming more rational. How am I going to do this? And how am I going to get this done AND make a polyjuice potion?
Then it hit him…the perfect excuse, Hermione. Her parents are muggles and so there wouldn't be a problem there. She of everyone he knew would know what to do and she could help him with the polyjuice potion. His uncle wouldn't suspect a thing (in fact he might be happy that Harry was hanging out with such a "normal" person for a change) and to top it all off he would be able to tease Malfoy about how he was saved by a "mudblood" for months. It was the perfect plan.
Malfoy was still sitting at the table as irritable as ever and Crabbe and Goyle were looking more and more lost as the dire prospects of their situation continued to sink into their otherwise dull skulls.
"I'll be right back, please don't break anything and if you hear anyone coming up to the door hurry to my room. It is the first door at the top of the stairs. Then just pray that my uncle decides to continue ignoring me and doesn't come in. I'll find you in a bit." And with that Harry walked off, glad that he was going to be able to plan more with Hermione who he was beginning to like a lot more than Ron lately.
Ring, ring, ring, Come on Hermione answer the phone! Harry's thoughts were almost screaming in his head.
It rung a few more times and he was about to hang up when he heard the click of someone answering.
"Hello?" Came a woman's voice. Harry didn't recognize it but he assumed that it was Hermione's mother.
"Hello," Harry responded, "Is Hermione in?"
"May I ask whose calling?" Duh, she hasn't really met me definitely not enough to know my phone voice.
"This is Harry Potter, you know, Hermione's friend from school?"
"OH!" Harry could imagine recognition coming to her face. Hermione had to have told her parents many things about him even if they couldn't remember his face. "The person she keeps sending those owls too. Why she doesn't just use the normal post I will never understand," Hermione's mother sounded like she was muttering to herself more so than talking to him, then he heard a slightly muffled yell. "Hermione! It's for you! It's Harry?"
Harry heard footsteps rapidly approaching. "Harry?" Hermione's voice was music to his ears, Finally something goes my way.
"Yeah, it's me."
"I'm glad you called but…won't you get in trouble for calling here?" Hermione sounded excited but confused and worried at the same time. In another circumstances Harry might have been irked that the first thing she asked him was whether he was breaking a rule or not but today she was his only way out and that was much more important than that little annoying habit of hers.
"Well, for one, my Aunt and Uncle aren't here so they wouldn't know anyway. And even if they knew about the call, as long as they don't think you're part of the wizarding world or 'those people' as they like to call us. They would bother me about it but probably wouldn't do anything else especially with Moody's threat over their heads. The lot of them have been avoiding me all summer except for food and the like."
"Okay so what cha up to?" Hermione sounded giddy, like she expected gossip or something… She sounded totally unlike the Hermione he knew at school… Then again it is just us and we're not exactly in a serious situation…yet. He would be happy to talk to her if she had called him.
Harry hated to break the good news with an actual reason for this uncalled for call. But there were more important things to be said.
"Actually there is a reason I called you…"
"Is it about the polyjuice potion you have to make for Snape?"
Harry was stunned…how did she know about that? "How do you know about that?" Harry asked forgetting about Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle for the moment.
"I was walking down to breakfast at the Order's headquarters while hanging out with Ron one weekend when I heard Dumbledore and Snape talking about it."
"Oh…" Harry wasn't sure whether to be pleased that Hermione already knew or annoyed because she had been to yet another gathering of the Order without him. Of course with Voldemort able to enter my mind, even if it does cause him pain it would not be a good idea for me to be anywhere near the Order.
"I have fluxweed picked at the full moon and have been stewing lacewings for 5 days now. We should be able to get the rest of the ingredients at Diagon Alley when we go to get our books."
"Um…shouldn't I do SOME of the work here Hermione? After all it IS my test. And frankly Snape wouldn't take a potion he thought was to perfect. He'd assume you made it."
"Oh Harry, don't be silly!" Hermione spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Of COURSE you are going to be making the potion. I have just taken the liberty of procuring the more difficult parts of the potion. Specifically the ones that require time because I am sure you won't be able to where you are. Besides, you would need a place to brew the potion anyway."
"Hey scar head what's taking so long?" Malfoy's voice brought him back to reality and then he remembered the other half the reason he had called.
"…Harry…Please tell me that wasn't MALFOY!" Hermione sounded slightly surprised, but not as much as he thought she should be.
"Yes actually it was. Apparently Dumbledore sent him here along with Crabbe and Goyle to protect them from the Death Eater's or something. Snape dropped them off when he told me about the potion. Actually that's the other half of the reason I called. I was wondering if you could help me figure out a place for them to stay because I know that my uncle would never let them stay here in a million years."
"Who is that you're talking to?" Malfoy asked. "It wouldn't be that mudblood Granger would it?"
Without his constant anger of the previous years Harry found himself not caring at all. There would be little point in escalating the situation by trying to fight with him and even if he wasn't scared of Crabbe and Goyle, the fact that they were still a lot bigger than he was did not escape him. Besides it had happened so many times by now that it was more common then him referring to her by name. "Yes actually it is. And unless you want to be left out in the cold I suggest that you leave me alone so I can figure out a place for you to stay!"
Malfoy looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it and left. Well, that's something Malfoy has never been, stupid. He knows that he's stuck with me just as much as I'm stuck with him. It wasn't that Harry really cared about this fact. He was far beyond caring. His ability to truly care had been lost over the two months he was at the Dursleys'. Alone in his room not caring had been the only way he survived. Anger had been this crutch last year but that had got him nothing but alienation. It has even been the cause of his godfather's death. No! Can't think about that right now have to keep from thinking about that right…
"Harry are you still there?" Hermione's voice snapped him out of his reverie.
"Yeah, sorry about that…" Harry's voice came out a lot more casual then he has intended. Well maybe that's a good thing. This is Hermione after all. She has only been my friend for five years. Why shouldn't I be casual with her?
"…she might be able to take them." Harry had been lost in thought and had missed all but the last of what Hermione had just said.
"Sorry, could you repeat that?"
"What, oh ok. I said that I thought Ms. Figg lived around there. You said something about her being a squib or something last year? She might be willing to take them. And if she's anything like you have described her then it might be something he needs."
Harry laughed for the first time in months. "Thanks Hermione!" Harry was glad he called her. It appeared that he could get rid of Malfoy completely and his Uncle would never have to know he was even there. All he'd have to do is intercept the Owl before it got to him.
He turned to Malfoy. "Ok, ferret it looks like we've found a place for you to stay. That is, gratefully not here. Nearby there is a squib named Arabella Figg. She would know enough about you to not be totally out of place and she knows Dumbledore. I don't know if Dumbledore intended for you to stay here or not but especially with a letter from him. I doubt you would ever be able to. Uncle Vernon would throw the lot of you out in a heart beat. And I really wouldn't blame him."
"So that's how it is Potter. We get dropped on your muggle uncle's doorstep and you hand us off to the neighborhood squib?" Malfoy was truly angry. Harry scoffed at that silently. How could Malfoy be mad about this? Well, he could understand the boy being mad at having to live with him all summer. But not having to live with Harry and being sent to live with someone who is, or at least was part of the Wizarding world has to be better then getting killed or worse by a death eater. The thought that the ministry had lost control of the dementors didn't elude him. And he was sure that they would be incredibly happy to feed one someone who got so much glee out of other's misery. Before they got to him he would look so tasty seeing all that horrible sadness. Harry was getting ahead of himself. He couldn't honestly say that he knew how Malfoy would react to seeing all of that. And he wasn't exactly the best judge of his character being that they have been enemies…or maybe rivals was a better word for it since their first year.
"Well suit yourself but it looks like you don't have much choice unless you want to be caught by death eaters."
"Um…Harry?" Hermione's tone caught his attention again. "I'm not doing anything this weekend we could meet and discuss the situation in person?"
"Are you sure I mean we would be meeting about Malfoy. And it is highly likely that he will be present at the time." Malfoy's face didn't change in the slightest when his name was mentioned. Apparently he understood to well the way they all felt about each other.
"I guess but where am I going to keep these three in the mean time? Saturday's three days away?"
"In your room I guess. Oh and make sure to feed them. Pets, even mean ones like ferrets still need their nutrients." Harry laughed. Hermione had changed so much over the years. At first she had been a snooty goody two shoes know it all and now she seems to break the rules almost more than he does. Or maybe he just thinks that because she's the one who actually comes up with all their rule breaking plans regardless of whether she agrees with them. Her sense of humor had been growing too. She would have never made a sarcastic remark like that in her first year. But last year she had made many. None in the mothering tone she had just used. But there is always a first time for everything. Malfoy's look deepened his anger more obvious. Harry knew he wasn't stupid, they were obviously laughing at his expense.
"I don't think that will work quite that well. Oh well I guess I'll have to think of something."
"Sorry I can't be more helpful. If I knew your aunt and uncle a bit better maybe I would have a better idea but I don't know what would work. Well…actually why not meet them? I have heard so many things about them and I would like to see for myself just how true they are. It doesn't even need to be a friendly visit. I could just show up and act really mean to you. Tell them you cursed me or something and see what happens."
"Don't do that I'd never hear the end of it for weeks. But you could show up randomly and probably get along under the pretense of being a saleswoman or something. They like normal muggle things like that people working hard to make a living."
"Oh well, I guess I'll call you later and we can make a plan."
Harry's heart jumped a step She can't call here Uncle would kill me. "Hermione, please don't, I'll call you. I already have enough trouble without a random person calling for me. They know I don't know anyone from the muggle world. And especially after that Ron incident three years ago, they would assume the worst."
Hermione laughed, no doubt she had been told all about it. "That was one of the funniest things he had ever told me. And the best part was he couldn't see at all what was humorous about it! I suppose he wouldn't being that it was the first time he had ever seen a telephone let alone used one, but it was still quite amusing." Hermione's laugh died down to a snicker allowing her to talk more like herself. "I wanted to call you after that. But I assumed the same thing you just told me and decided it wasn't a good idea. The last thing you needed at the time was someone adding wood to an already heated fire."
"Yeah."
"Harry, we're about to sit down to lunch so I'll expect a call from you before the weekend ok?"
"Ok." Harry almost instantly returned to his more recent normality of annoyed indifference after he heard the click of Hermione hanging up. Then he saw Malfoy and his state of a few minutes before, extreme annoyance and indifferent acceptance towards an uncontrollable situation.
"Ok me and Hermione are going to meet…"
Draco cut Harry off, "We're not going to accept help from a MUDBLOOD! That is simply NOT acceptable! We would rather be caught by the death eaters than do that!"
Crabbe and Goyle had just walked in and from the looks on their faces they had heard what Draco had just said. Whatever boundaries they had with him had obviously just been crossed.
"What the!" Goyle yelled shocked. "And you call US stupid!" Goyle's voice still sounded like it came from a classic idiot. But his words held more meaning to Harry then anything he had ever heard him say. Goyle may not be the smartest brain in the bunch but he wasn't nearly as brain dead as Harry had previously thought, and he wasn't a mindless a follower either.
"Yeah! What do you mean! You're CRAZY to think WE want to get caught! 'Specially over a stupid mudblood!" Crabbe's voice also still sounded rather idiotic to Harry, however they were questioning Malfoy something he had never seen them do in his entire time at Hogwarts.
Draco turned and looked at them sternly. They both backed up, and Harry saw something that he had not expected. He had always thought that Crabbe and Goyle were friends of Malfoy's or at least as close to friends as one could be with him. But what he saw shed new light on their relationship, they were scared of him.
Harry decided that now was the time to make the decision that had to be made. And it really wasn't his to make. It was the three people in his house.
"Ok, well if that's how you feel ferret, then you can go." Harry said rather calmly given the circumstances. He then walked to the front door opened it and then motioned with his hand to leave as a bellhop might motion someone into their room at a hotel.
Malfoy headed to the door and then looked back. Crabbe and Goyle had not moved. "Are you coming?" Malfoy's voice was quite stern, like a major talking to his new recruits. But Crabbe and Goyle didn't move. Apparently they feared the death eaters a lot more then they feared Draco.
"It looks like your going alone." Harry said smugly. Draco looked at him with pure malice in his eyes, and then looked at Crabbe and Goyle in a similar manner.
"FINE!" He yelled angrily. "We'll stay here and accept help from the mudblood and the halfbreed! But let no one claim that I disgraced wizards here!"
Harry noticed that any smugness in Draco's voice was gone. No longer did he have that 'I'm so much better than you' tone. He was just flat out angry. His body language spoke wonders though. He still was just as stuck up as ever, nose up and refusing to look down at him. This is going to be a long month. Harry thought as he showed the three of them up to his room, glad that the Dursleys hadn't showed up during this already hectic event.
