Chapter 8

Dudley and Harry looked at Dracos sleeping form while Ginny and Hermione stared at them in confusion. It was some minutes later when Dudley sighed and looked hard at Harry.

"We need an adult, Harry," he said harshly. "We can't even begin to deal with this on our own."

Harry nodded in agreement.

"You're right, and I've been thinking about who to ask," Harry said. Ginny and Hermione gasped in shock, Harry could hear them thinking, 'Harry asking an adult for help?'

"Who do you think you can trust?" Dudley asked Harry. He wasn't intentionally ignoring the two witches; he just seemed to realize that with this group, Harry was the defacto leader.

"Professor Dumbledore, Harry, we should call him!" Hermione said quickly. Ginny nodded her head in agreement.

"No." Harry said decisively. Hermione and Ginny looked confused.

"But, Harry, he's the head of the Order, he can keep Malfoy safe!" Ginny insisted.

"And I don't think he would do everything he could, Gin, 'cause he doesn't like Malfoy," Harry told her. Hermione and Ginny thought about it, and realized that it was probably true, although they couldn't imagine Dumbledore not doing everything in his power to use any means to stop Voldemort. Thinking about Malfoy being used like that, stopped both girls' thoughts cold. They didn't want that, it wasn't right.

"Professor McGonagall, then Harry," Ginny suggested. Harry thought about it for a long moment before shaking his head no.

"She is in league with Dumbledore too much," he said carefully, as if he were still thinking it through. "At least, I think she would tell him, and I don't want Dumbledore to know about this, at least not yet."

There was another pointed silence as the three-wizarding children thought hard. Dudley, to make himself useful, took himself downstairs to order food and drink for them all.

"How about Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked tentatively. Harry and Ginny looked at her as they thought about it. Ginny began nodding enthusiastically, and Harry started to agree.

"Wait," he said softly. "I know Remus would help, but, well," he seemed reluctant to continue. Hermione caught his thought anyway.

"Since Sirius' death," she said softly, "he might not be up to it." Harry nodded around the lump in his throat. It was getting easier to think of it, and Harry had begun to realize that he really hadn't known his godfather very well. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he realized exactly who they could trust to help Malfoy, and NOT tell Dumbledore.

"Snape!" Harry practically shouted. Hermione and Ginny jumped and faced the door, somewhat guiltily. Realizing that Snape wasn't in the room the two turned to face Harry relieved. Then they realized what he meant and both began to protest. Harry waved them into silence.

"Think about it, 'Mione!" Harry said urgently. "Malfoy is Snapes' favorite student, and he is a member of the Order, and he won't tell Dumbledore because he doesn't trust Dumbledore not to do what Snape thinks is best for his students!" Hermione opened her mouth to argue the point, but realized that Harry was right. Snape and Dumbledore rarely agreed on what was best for the students. Reluctantly, Hermione nodded her head in agreement. Ginny seemed confused, but also agreed reluctantly, that Harry was right. Snape was the best choice.

Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Dudley sat around a still sleeping Draco Malfoy two hours later. Dudley had brought up food and drink, and he was enjoying his Butterbeer. They had all thought long and hard about how to get in touch with Snape without alerting any of the other Order Members. They had thought about using an owl, of course, but since they weren't sure where he was at the moment they decided against it. He might have been with Voldemort and having him know was defeating the purpose of keeping Draco hidden. The floo network was out of the question because, again, they didn't know where he was and the floo network was too easily watched. Of course, there weren't any other ways to get through.

"Ain't there any where else we can go?" Dudley asked. He seemed to be getting nervous again. Harry felt the same. Hiding out at the Leaky Cauldron wasn't exactly a great idea.

"We could go to Grimmauld Place," Ginny suggested. "Mum is there, but we could probably sneak both Dudley and Malfoy in." Hermione agreed.

"Ginny and I could distract her long enough to get them in, and then maybe we can think of a way to get Snape," Hermione seemed to be thinking of something else. "Or maybe Mrs. Weasley will help with Malfoy," she said hopefully. Ginny shook her head in the negative.

"Mum would tell Dumbledore, 'Mione, she really would," Ginny said softly.

"But why?"

"Because after the attack at the Ministry, she has gotten even more protective of Harry than before, she'd tell," Ginny seemed disappointed in her mother.

Two hours later, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Dudley and Draco (still unconscious) pull up before number 11 Grimmauld Place in a taxi. Dudley carries the sleeping Draco and looks about in his confusion.

"There is no number 12, Harry," Dudley says scornfully. He is starting to think that this has become some strange bad dream. Harry just smiles sadly and takes one of Dudley's meaty arms in his hand and pulls him up a set of stairs that weren't there a moment ago. They enter an old foyer, and just stand there. Dudley begins shaking when he realizes what happened. Harry motions for him to keep quiet. Hermione and Ginny go off and quickly locate Molly Weasley.

After a few minutes, Harry leads Dudley up another set of stairs, motioning for him to keep quiet. The head up two more flights of stairs and enter a room at the end of a very long hall. The house was old and pretty much unkempt, at least what Dudley could see of the place was. There were dust and cobwebs everywhere.

Dudley wasn't sure if he was frightened or angry at what had happened to him since he'd asked his parents to let Harry come to London with them to get his own school things. Of course, his dad was being a total wanker in expecting Harry to be able to take care of himself.

Dudley didn't remember exactly what had happened that night he'd been attacked, and he really had believed that Harry had attacked him, at first. After a year to think about it, he realized that Harry had never done anything like that before, and Harry would probably have just out and out killed him instead of torturing him like that. That was what decided him that Harry had to have saved his life.

No one knew that Dudley had begun searching libraries and bookstores until he found information on the wizarding world. His shock at how much was kept hidden from what witches and wizards called 'muggles' was overwhelming. It also explained a lot about why Harry had to be kept with his family for the time being. Dudley still didn't trust the freaks, but at least he knew more than his father and mother did. He knew Harry wouldn't really hurt them, even if it were illegal; he was too nice a guy. Dudley also knew now that the wizarding community considered Harry a hero.

Harry was helping Dudley lay Draco on the single bed in the room, when he heard a throat clearing cough sound behind him. Thinking it was Mrs. Weasley; he started to explain as he turned. Then he saw that it was a painting of Sirius' grandfather, one of the old headmasters of Hogwarts.

"Headmaster Black!" Harry said happily. He hadn't expected to see the portrait again so soon.

"Mr. Potter, what ever are you doing bringing a muggle," this was said with such venom that Dudley, who was so stunned by the sight of a moving and speaking portrait he had been standing and gaping, jerked with the insult, "into my home?" Harry kind of smiled at that, and then laughed.

"Actually, Grimmauld Place is mine now, Sirius left it to me," Harry said. The painting looked down at him scathingly for a moment, then he seemed to notice the blond boy lying on the covers of the bed.

"Who is that?" he asked snidely. Harry didn't think, just answered.

"Draco Malfoy," at the paintings' look of surprise, Harry realized what he had said and almost groaned aloud.

"It appears he needs medical attention," Phineas Nigellus Black said quite matter-of-factly. Harry and Dudley exchanged quick glances.

"Harry, can he get in touch with that Snape guy?" Dudley asked suddenly. Harry thought about it quickly.

"Can you, Sir?" Harry asked quietly. The sound of urgency in his voice caught the old headmasters attention.

"I can try," he said softly.