Harry was sitting by one of the tables in the library. He had done the homework for the following day, but stared miserably at the pile of books on the desk in front of him. He'd been sitting there for hours. It was almost seven o'clock, and he'd missed dinner. But he didn't mind. He wasn't hungry anyway. He was thinking about all the love trouble the Gryffindors had been experiencing. He hardly noticed when Ron sank down on one of the chairs by the table.

"Hello, mate", Ron said lowly. Harry looked up.

"Hey. What's up?"

"I've been talking to Hermione. She's still upset."

"No wonder", Harry said unenthusiastically and opened up a spell book.

"Did you know that she'd been engaged with Viktor?" Ron whispered and leaned back a bit in his chair.

"No", Harry whispered back, because he, like Ron, saw the outline of the librarian, Madam Pince.

"I wonder if it was You-know-who who killed him."

"Probably. He killed Cedric Diggory."

"Yeah…. Ey, do you know what Draco got for detention?"

"No." Harry gave up trying to read his book. "What?"

"I thought you knew."

"I don't, but since it's Snape who's giving the detention…"

"I wonder what he got."

"Did you know why he got detention, Ron?"

Ron smiled. "Yeah, because he stood up against Snape. My God, I wanted to cheer when he did it!"

"Yes, but do you know why Draco was angry?"

"Should I? I don't know, Harry, maybe he slept badly."

"He loves her. He loves Ginny, Ron, but he cannot talk with her. He's frustrated, angry and… well, a bit thoughtless." Startled, Ron looked at Harry.

"What?" he said. "You're saying that Draco got angry because he-" Ron almost choked on the word – "love her?"

Harry nodded. "Yep", he said. Draco did all that for her. He told me, you know… But I don't think that Ginny actually realises it."

"You couldn't miss it", Ron pointed out. "Everyone talked about Draco standing up to Snape."

"Standing up to him, yeah, but she doesn't realise that he did it for her."

"Does she have to?" Ron said and did a face. "I wouldn't like to be the one telling her."

"What about Hermione then?"

"What, you mean telling her?" Ron shook his head. "No way. Not now. Not with Viktor's death and all."

"You're right." Harry sighed. "Well, I guess I'll have to tell her – again."

"What about letting Draco tell her?" Ron suggested.

"Good idea", Harry admitted, "there's just one problem – she won't talk to him."

"Oh." Ron remained quiet for about two minutes. Then he continued: "Why won't she talk to him?"

"Draco can't tell her how he feels because he doesn't dare speak with her –"

"Doesn't dare?"

"-since he's afraid of the Slytherins shutting him out."

"Shutting him out?" Ron almost shouted. "Why?" he continued in a whispering tone when Madam Pince looked up angrily.

"Because she's a Gryffindor, Ron", Harry said irritably. "Use your common sense."

"Don't have one", Ron answered and grinned broadly. Harry ignored him.

"I think there's another thing too. It might be the fact that she's a… well, don't be upset, Ron…"

"Because she's a… what?"

"A Weasley. I'm sorry, Ron, but the fact remains that the Slytherins don't like your family."

Ron stared at him.

"It's true!" Harry protested. "They don't like me either!"

"The library's closing now", Madam Pince said behind them. "Leave, please."

Harry stuffed all his books into his bag, Ron sat still and just stared at him.

"C'mon", Harry said. "Let's go."

Ron came to his feet. They walked slowly towards the Gryffindor tower, but when they passed the boys' bathroom on the sixth floor, someone came stumbling out of the passageway between the bathroom and the marble staircase leading up to the seventh floor. When Harry realised who it was, he felt sick.

The tall, before so handsome young man, was battered. One of his grey eyes was bung up, he was black and blue. He hobbled, his blonde hair greasy, bloody and came into his eyes when he tried to walk straight. Suddenly he stopped, and vomited on the floor. Then he fell. Harry hurried forwards. He caught him before he hit the wall.

"Draco!" he urged, "C'mon, Draco, say something." The Slytherin looked at him with unseeing eyes.

"Malfoy, what happened?" Draco tried to open his mouth, but instead of speaking, he coughed blood on Harry's robe. Ron just stared at Draco, unable of moving.

"Ron, help!" Harry hissed. Ron helped him lift Draco, and together they carried him down to the second floor, where the Hospital Wing was located. Madam Pomfrey nearly fainted when she saw Draco.

"Poor boy! What have you done to him?" she screamed.

"We've done nothing!" Ron exclaimed. "We found him on the sixth floor." Harry couldn't say anything. He stared on Draco's white face, saw the blood stains on his robe, and suddenly a nasty thought hit him.

"He's hurt", he said, his voice high-pitched.

"Yes, of course he's hurt, what did you think?" Madam Pomfrey said angrily.

"No, I mean… look at his robe!" Harry had noticed a pool of blood on the floor; the blood was dripping.

"Oh my God", Madam Pomfrey said lowly. "Quickly, go get the Head Master."

"But…"

"Now!" Both Ron and Harry ran through the corridors, avoiding the ghosts, they ran past Peeves without even seeing him, and directly to Dumbledore's office. Harry knocked on the door, crying "Sir!". Suddenly the door opened, and Dumbledore came out, hurrying past them.

"Sir, Malfoy's…"

"I know, Harry, the ghosts told me. Hurry up!" Ron and Harry ran after Dumbledore back to the Hospital Wing. Before they reached the doors of the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore stooped, turned around, and said:
"Harry, listen. And you too, Ronald. Whatever happened to Draco Malfoy, will not happen again. Go find Professor McGonagall, she needs to know. And then go straight up to bed and stay there. All right?" They nodded. Albus Dumbledore nodded back, and then closed the door to the Hospital Wing behind them. Harry felt an unmentionable fear clench around his heart. What if Malfoy died?