Chapter Three:

"Harry!" Ron pinched his best mate's shoulder to get his attention. He'd been trying to tell Harry something for the past ten minutes, but every time Ron got to the good part his best mate would turn his head and watch the staff table. To say the least, it was really bothering Ron, "I may not be the most exciting person on this planet, but when I am talking I do expect to be listened to." Ron shook his head, he could not believe how much like Hermione he sounded just then, it was scary.

"I'm sorry Ron, what did you say?" Harry turned back to his friend. Ron shook his head, yet again in disbelief, and stuffed his mouth full of the food that was now on his plate,
which consisted of toast, eggs, and a few slices of bacon.

"What do you keep looking at?" Ron asked Harry when he was sure he had his complete attention.

"Nothing of importance," Harry looked around again and then frowned, "Where's Hermione?"

Ron just looked behind him and, expecting her to be there, was shocked
that she wasn't.

"I don't know," Ron answered.

"If you two had been paying attention you would have heard her say she went back to the tower to grab something, and you would have also heard her say she would meet you in
class, but I guess you guys missed all that, eh?" Ginny pointed out. She was sitting across from Ron with her arms crossed over her lap.

"Thanks Ginny," Ron said without real notice to her intended point.

"Bill!" Ginny jumped from her seat and walked over to her elder brother and sat down. He was sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table by himself, sort of. There were quite a few girls who took it upon themselves to see if he was still there every few seconds.

"Hey Gin," Bill took a gulp from his goblet.

"How was your first day?"

"Not bad. It was rather boring actually."

"Why was that? You should have taken it upon yourself to make it fun."

"Yes well, Gin, it's not my class and it was what had to go on. You'll see today."

"Well that's cool. How good of a teacher is she?"

"Gin you've met her before. She's very bright and very lively, you know that." Bill popped a grape into his mouth.

"Yes, but I am not asking that, I am asking how good of a teacher she is," Ginny shot back at him.

"You'll see," Bill smiled at his little sister, "You'll see."

"Sometimes, Bill." she told him before standing up and grabbing her pack. She walked out of the Great Hall with Neville.

"Sometimes, Gin," Bill said to himself as she walked out of the door, "Sometimes."

"So, Bill what did I get on that quiz thing from the other day!" Ron asked Bill through a mouth full of half eaten toast.

Bill shook his head, "I forgot." he laughed at Ron's annoyed look, "Your little wager with
Hermione was not lost, but not won either, if that answers your question."

"How can I not do either?"

"Well, if I heard correctly yesterday your words were 'If I get above half of it right, I win and if I get below, I lose.' You Ron, didn't get above or below."

Bill then stood up and walked to the last chair at the head table. He leaned over and whispered something to Charlotte and then waited for her to answer. She nodded and then pointed to the right of her, but just slightly. She leaned forward and looked around then sat back and shook her head. Bill nodded and then motioned to something with his hands. She frowned then shrugged and let him go.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked Harry curiously.

"I don't know, mate." Harry drank from his cup, "I like her," he added, "and don't at the same time."

"Why and how is that possible?"

"She can put Malfoy in his place with a few words and yet there is something oddly familiar about her that really bugs me."

"She's a Malfoy and that bugs me," Ron added.

101010101010

"I would like the rest of you to do the same. Just point your wand and try until you get it." McGonagall instructed her class.

"Excuse me, Professor. May I barrow Draco for a moment." Draco looked over his shoulder to see a very angry Charlotte standing in the doorway. Draco looked
back at his professor and hoped that she wouldn't agree, but before Draco really had any time to make that particular wish, Dumbledore walked in beside his sister.

"Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall motioned to the door. Draco set down his quill and walked to the door, keeping his cool and not letting the situation get to him. Not even a second before he left the classroom, he was screamed at.

"Do you really think this is funny?" Charlotte half yelled at him.

"Think what is funny?" Draco shot back.

He looked at Dumbledore, hoping to get some sort of help, but it seemed the old man wanted to know just as much as Charlotte. Draco found out what they were talking
about not much later because his sister thrust a letter into his hands and then stepped back. Draco opened it up and read what it said, "You think I did this?"

"Mr. Malfoy, you do have reason," Dumbledore pointed out.

"Well I didn't," Draco told them.

"Oh, that's real believable."

"I am not lying, Charlotte, I didn't do it."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I didn't do it," Draco pressed again.

"Mr. Malfoy, I think you should still come with us." Dumbledore waited for the two of them to walk down the hall towards his office. Charlotte stopped quickly, turned around and stared at her brother.

"He didn't do it," she said quietly before taking the letter back from his hands. Draco sighed in relief, at least one thing was clear.

"I know, Charlotte," Dumbledore added with a knowing smile, "come now."

The three of them continued to walk down the hall until they reached the gargoyle that hid the stairway to his office. Unfortunately, for Draco they had to pass by the class that the Gryffindor sixth year students were in. After, he was sure, Potter had pointed out that Draco was being escorted by the Headmaster and his sister down the hall, everyone's gaze turned to the door and the whispering started. He was also sure that there would be a million different rumours by the time lunch came around and he wasn't looking forward to it. God, how much he hated his sister. She was like a walking bad omen.

101010101010101010

"Did you see that?" Ron asked his two best mates. He turned back to the book and looked at one of the paragraphs and then answered the next question on his paper before he turned back to Harry and Hermione.

"Yeah, wonder what that was about?" Harry looked over his shoulder at the door. By then the three had already past, but everyone still continued to look over their shoulders to see if the door or the lingering image would give them a better idea as to what Malfoy must have done.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief, "Think about it guys," she told them, "Professor Malfoy and Malfoy were walking down the hall with the Headmaster. There is only one thing it could have been."

"Oh smart 'Mione, please give us the answer to such a puzzling question," Ron mocked her with his hands clasped together as if he were praying to a god. Hermione, learning a thing or two from them and from herself of course, smiled.

"My dear, Ronald. I would love to but information like this doesn't come without a price." Ron looked at her with shock, "I want offerings," she smiled at his look and then went back to answering the questions on the assignment. They had been assigned two-hundred questions that were due by the next class period, which wasn't for another week, and she was already halfway through it.

"Oh, come on, Mione," Ron pleaded.

"You wanted to mock me Ron, it wasn't the other way around. Now you have to learn your lesson." Hermione stated from behind the hair that had fallen in front of her face. She sighed and then leaned forward to whisper something into Harry's ear. Harry nodded his head, "That makes a lot of sense."

"Doesn't it?" Hermione smiled at her cleverness.

"What did she say?" Ron pushed on curiously. He hated being out of the loop when it came to the two of them. He was their friend too and he deserved to know what they were talking about. Harry looked up at Hermione and she frowned, but shrugged her shoulders. Harry then leaned over to Ron, slightly, and only whispered one word.

"Lucius."