Disclaimer: I'm not JKR!

A/N: Well, here you are, another chapter, happy? I've got some doubts about the rating of this story, do you think that I should raise it? Let me know what do you think. Oh, yes enjoy this new chapter, I like it very quite a lot. I think it's funny.

To flyingthoroughbred: Thank you so much for beta-reading this chapter.

Hope

Draco opened his eyes and watched out of the window. The grounds of Hogwarts were covered with sun. The Whomping Willow moved its leaves in the air.

"I'm happy to see that you are feeling better, Draco," said a voice behind him.

Draco turned his face and saw Dumbledore standing next to his bed.

"Professor," he said weakly, trying to get up from the bed, "I don't know really what to say. I'm feeling so sorry. I deserve a punishment."

"Why, Draco?" asked sweetly Dumbledore.

"Because I failed on my mission."

"Why are you saying this?"

"Because I didn't succeeded in anything."

"If killing the most terrible of Voldemort's followers and interrupting a potent ritual are nothing, then I don't really know what something is," said Dumbledore, smiling.

Draco closed his eyes and smiled too.

"Does your arm still hurt you?" asked Dumbledore, sitting on a chair next to Draco.

Draco moved it up and down a little.

"No, it doesn't," he said, "How long have I been sleeping?"

"A week: you were really tired," said Dumbledore, patting him on the shoulder.

"A week?" asked Draco in disbelief.

Dumbledore nodded. "Madam Pomfrey had great difficulties in keeping away all the visitors during this week," said Dumbledore seriously.

"Visitors? Did I get some visitors?" asked Draco not believing what he was hearing.

"Of course you did. Two of them were particularly insistent, Madam Pomfrey had to forbid access to this area of the infirmary."

"Who were they?" asked Draco softly.

"Can't you imagine them?" asked Dumbledore smiling.

Draco closed his eyes hoping that they were not who he thought they were. "Potter and Weasley?" he asked slowly.

Dumbledore's smile became wider.

"What did they want?" he asked a little rudely.

"Why don't you ask them by yourself? They are waiting right outside the door of the infirmary."

Draco looked at the door as if he was waiting for Harry and Ron to come in and scream "Surprise!".

"Shall I let them come in?" asked Dumbledore, standing up.

Draco closed his eyes and thought for a moment; then he nodded.

Dumbledore smiled and moved towards the door, but before he could reach it, Draco spoke again.

"Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes?" he asked, smiling.

"I-is it true that Hermione Granger is dying?"

The question didn't surprise Dumbledore; on the contrary, it seemed that he had been waiting for that question for all of his life.

"She is, Draco," he said seriously.

"I'm s-sorry."

"We all are. She is the cleverest witch I've ever met. She loved to read books; can you remember this particular fact, Draco?"

Draco nodded.

Dumbledore smiled and turned his back to Draco, but before moving towards the door he spoke once again, "Who knows, maybe a book will save her life, don't you think?"

Draco didn't understand these words, but he knew that Dumbledore stressed the word 'book' on purpose.

While Draco was thinking about all these things, he heard Dumbledore talking to somebody, and then two men came into the infirmary.

"How are you feeling Draco?" asked Harry, smiling.

"How would you feel, Potter, if a Death Eater had tortured you?" answered rudely Draco.

"Hey, Malfoy, Harry was just trying to be nice," snapped Ron.

"Then tell him not to ask stupid questions."

"It was not a stupid question since you have slept for almost a week I thought that you felt better," said Harry.

"My arm is still hurting me," he muttered.

"I bet that's a lie," said Ron, "Madam Pomfrey told us that you were alright, just a little bit tired."

Draco grinned, "So you asked Madam Pomfrey about my conditions – did you care about me?"

"Care about you?" said Ron, blushing a little, "Don't talk rubbish, Malfoy!"

"Then why are you blushing, Weasley?" asked Draco, grinning.

"We just wanted to know when you wouldn't feel too bad, so that we could come in here and you could thank us for saving your life," said Ron stressing the word 'thank'.

"You – what?" almost screamed Draco.

"We – saved – your – life," said Ron as if he was talking to a child.

"You didn't do anything like that! I saved your life!"

"You are crazy Malfoy," said Ron seriously, "If we weren't there, you would have died under the Death Eaters."

"Who killed Bellatrix and interrupted the ritual?"

"Yeah, but who killed almost all of the Death Eaters?"

"Almost all the Death Eaters ran away when I killed Bellatrix."

"You wouldn't have been able to kill Bellatrix if it wasn't for us!" screamed Ron.

"You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me!" Draco screamed back.

"Ok, men, that's enough," said Harry, putting himself between the two men; at the same moment, Madam Pomfrey entered the infirmary with a very angry face.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, go out of this infirmary right now," she said firmly, "Mr. Malfoy is not completely healed yet."

Then she pushed Ron and Harry out of the infirmary without listening to their remonstrations.

"That damn git!" screamed Ron when they entered their office.

"Calm down, Ron," said Harry, sitting at his desk.

"Why could we have saved his life and we cannot save Hermione's?" asked Ron, looking at Harry desperately.

Harry sighed, 'It wasn't really a question,' thought Harry, 'Well it was, but Ron isn't really waiting for an answer. I've answered this question so many times.'

"Harry can you believe me that in a week, I never got the chance to see her?" asked Ron.

"Yes, Ron, I know that – you told me thousands of times," sighed Harry.

"Muggle hospitals," muttered Ron.

At that very moment somebody knocked on the door.

Harry stood up from his chair and opened the door.

Professor McGonagall entered their little office.

"Good morning Professor McGonagall," said Harry politely.

"Good morning Mr. Potter," said Professor McGonagall. She then turned her head towards Ron. "Mr. Weasley, I wanted to know if you knew something about Miss Granger," asked Professor McGonagall anxiously.

Ron looked at her alarmed "Why? Did something happen to her?"

"Oh, no," she answered reassuringly, "It is just that when you came back from the mission you went into London to meet her just once, and then Lilian isn't coming to school for almost a week – I thought, I mean, Hermione isn't – dead, is she?"

"No," he answered softly.

Professor McGonagall sighed in relief.

"But she is feeling really bad," continued Ron, "I don't think that she will survive for a long time. I cannot see her, though."

"Why?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"Because she was taken to a Muggle hospital the evening that Harry and I left for the Dark Forest. And that would not have been a real problem, but she said that she wanted only her parents to come in and see her. Lilian and I or whoever other cannot come into her room."

"What?" asked McGonagall, " Why would she do something like that?"

"I don't know. Maybe because she doesn't want to see our sadness, I think."

"And Lilian?"

"She is at her grandparents' house. I go to see her every time that I can. She never stops crying, and I can't do anything for her – her mum is dying and her dad is a complete stranger. I think that her life couldn't be worst."

"At least she has a dad," said Harry.

Professor McGonagall nodded.

"I think I'll send an owl to Hermione's parents, I want to see her," said Professor McGonagall resolutely.

"You'll waste your time, Professor McGonagall," said Ron while she was leaving their office, "She doesn't want to see anybody."

When she closed the door, Harry sighed heavily. "You know Ron, I think that she is doing all this to protect you and Lilian and all the people that she loves."

"I don't need her protection," muttered Ron.

"And do you think that she needs yours?" asked Harry, smiling a little.

"Of course she does."

"I'm sure that she is thinking exactly the same thing," sighed Harry.

Ron looked at his friend and thought that he was right.

Knock knock.

Harry went again to open the door.

"Malfoy?" he said, seeing the pointed face of the man in front of him.

Draco was still in his pajamas and he was blushing a little.

"Can I come in?" he asked a little rudely after various minutes while Harry stared at him.

"Yes," he said, opening the door widely.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" asked Ron, glancing at him.

Draco glanced back at him.

"I was here because I wanted to say something to you, but now I think that I won't tell you anything."

"Oh my gosh! Will I ever survive this?" said Ron, grinning, "Little Drakey won't tell me anything. He is very evil, isn't he Harry?"

Draco didn't seem affected by these words. On the contrary, he looked almost amused. He smiled very evilly and came closer to Ron's face.

"Oh very well, then," he almost whispered, "I'm happy that you don't mind what I was going to say, but I thought you would do it, especially because it is all about a certain – Mudblood," he said, stressing the last word.

Ron eyes became wide at once; he took out his wand and pointed it at Draco's throat.

Draco was still grinning, though.

"Ron," said Harry coming near to them.

"You little stupid ferret, if you don't tell me what you know about her, I swear that I'll show you how good my Avada Kedavra spell is," hissed Ron, getting nearer to Draco.

Draco kept moving back, at the end he had to stop because he found himself with his back to the wall. His smile, anyway, didn't fade away.

Ron touch Draco's throat with his wand and pressed a little.

"Interesting," Draco tried to say while the wand was pressed on his larynx, "I thought you weren't interested in what I had to say."

Ron pressed a little bit heavily.

Draco let out a small, suffocated scream.

At that very moment Harry put a hand on Ron's shoulder from behind.

"Ron," he said calmly, "Ron, let him go. I know that he is a big bastard, but he won't be able to say anything if you break his larynx."

"Harry, d-did you hear what he called Hermione?" asked Ron without taking away his eyes from Draco.

"I did, but let's try to listen what he has to say about her, ok? If it is nothing of interest, I swear that I will say nothing if you decide to kill him," said Harry smiling.

Ron let Draco go slowly, very slowly.

When Ron's wand was at least 10 inches away from his neck, Draco started to massage his throat.

"You could have killed me, Weasel," said Draco without stopping smiling.

"I will surely do that, if you don't say something that interests me," answered Ron seriously.

"Ok, now stop it, the both of you," said Harry staying between the two of them, " What do you know about Hermione, Malfoy?"

"Oh, but I don't know anything about Hermione," said Draco looking at Harry.

"What? Why? But you said-" said Harry in disbelief.

"I said all I wanted to say was about Hermione, but I don't know anything about her," explained Draco.

"Ok, just tell us what you know, Malfoy," Ron cut in.

Malfoy grinned again; then he became serious all at once.

"I came here because I wanted to tell you that maybe you were a little right about our discussion before; I think that you saved my life after all – so I wanted to thank you in some way and-"

Ron came nearer to him at once, grabbed him, and shook his shoulder, "Who are you? And what did you do to Malfoy?" he screamed in Draco's ears.

Draco pushed Ron away and glanced at him.

"I think that Weasel is becoming crazy," muttered Draco to Harry.

"Not as much as you are," said Harry in disbelief for what Draco said before, "Anyway, go on."

"Well, what I was going to say, before that fool interrupted me, is that I wanted to do something for thanking you. I know a couple of spells that can save her from death."

"Really?" asked Ron, coming near, with hope in his voice.

"Yes," answered Draco.

"And why do you know these spells? I thought that all the things that your father taught you were about Avada Kedavra and other Unforgivable Spells," said Harry suspiciously.

"Well," said Draco, lowering his voice, "There is a book, it is called something like 'How to Cure Witches, Wizards, Muggles and Mudbloods from All Kind of Mortal Muggle's Deceases, and it is about – well I think that the title says all."

"Wait a second," said Harry, "'Muggles' and 'Mudbloods'? Are you just doing a paraphrase or the author is a friend of yours?"

"Well, the author is one of the most intelligent and most famous wizards of all times. He was the greatest wizard that ever walked on this Earth and all the people respected him and-"

"Can't you just say his name, Malfoy?" cut in Ron.

Malfoy smirked. "Mortimer Malfoy."

"Wow. Is he another nice relative of yours?" asked Harry smiling.

"He was the father of the father of the father of the father of the father-"

"Ok we have understood," said Harry, yawning.

"-of my father. One of the most famous Malfoys of all the times."

"If he is one of your ancestors, I think that nothing good will come out of that book," said Harry unconvinced.

"Well, he didn't really care about Muggles and Mudbloods, but he tried all of the spells on some ill Wizards and Witches and they all resulted good incantations."

"How can your relative want to cure all these people? It is suspicious, isn't it?" asked Harry.

"It is Dark Magic in fact," said Draco icily, "As the both of you should know, you cannot cure anybody from mortal deceases. But my famous and intelligent ancestor collected all the dark spells that he knew for doing this, and studied all the spells that were not yet invented."

"Why?" asked Harry, raisinh his eyebrows.

Malfoy looked exasperated. "I don't know why, ok?" he said and quickly tried to change subject, "Anyway there is an incantation in that book called 'Marcium Evaniscis' that is exactly for curing forms of cancer."

Ron, who has been silent for all that time, looked at Draco with a small fire in his eyes: the fire of hope.

"Are you telling the truth, Malfoy?" he asked Draco.

"Of course I am Weasel."

"And where is that book now?"

"It was at my house," he said, "Until it was destroyed."

"The Malfoy Manor has been destroyed?" asked Harry.

"Tore it down a couple of years ago," he said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"And the book?" asked Ron in a low voice, "Has it been destroyed too?"

Draco smiled, Ronald Weasley was waiting for his words, "It hasn't. All the things that were in Malfoy Manor have been taken away by the Minister of Magic. But-"

"We'll steal it from the Minister," said Ron.

"Will you please let me finish, Weasel? As I was going to say – but this book isn't there. A wizard thought that this, and some other books, would have been safer under his control. So he took the books in a very secure place, where there is a terrible guardian that won't ever let you reach the books."

Draco paused for what seemed like hours to Ron.

"And?" he asked after a little.

"And what?" asked back Draco.

"Who was this wizard?" asked Ron impatiently.

"Do you want to know his name? Oh but you know him very well – Albus Dumbledore."

Both Harry and Ron were speechless.

Draco was very satisfied with himself.

"What?" asked Harry in disbelief.

"Dumbledore has a book that could cure Hermione and he never told us this?" asked Ron, whose anger was rising.

"Dumbledore is damn clever. It's almost like he had foreseen all this. He wanted me to tell you that. He made me remember about that book when he came into the infirmary before you did."

"Why should he have waited for you to tell us?" asked Harry.

"I don't know," said Draco, shaking his head.

"I think I know that. He wanted to unite us. Maybe it will be needed: the strength of all three together for the ritual."

Ron closed his eyes. There was something wonderful in his life after all.

"So all we have to do, is take the book from Dumbledore's office and-"

"Oh no," Draco interrupted Ron, "The book is not in Dumbledore's office."

"No?"

"No, it is in the library."

"What?"

"Library, Restricted Section."

"The terrible guardian you were talking about is-"

"- Madam Pince."

"It's really terrible," said Harry seriously.

Both Draco and Ron nodded.

"Anyway, it wouldn't be the first time we enter the Restricted Section, right Ron?" asked Harry, blinking.

"Right."

"Ok, I think that we have to unite our strengths to save the life of that bookworm," said Draco.

"Hey, I've already said that!" protested Harry.

Draco glanced at him.

"Anyway," continued Draco, "I think that I will be able to find all the things necessary for the spell or potion or whatever it will be. I was the best in Potions when we attended Hogwarts."

"Excuse me? You were just the teacher's pet," said Ron.

"How dare you say tha-"

"And I think that I'll collect the book from the library," said Harry, interrupting the quarrel, "While you, Ron, will have the most difficult thing to do."

Ron nodded.

"And exactly what will this consist of?" asked Draco sceptically.

"Trying to convince Hermione to let us cure her."

Late that night there was a man sleeping and snoring in the infirmary of Hogwarts.

A man covered in a magic cloak who was searching for a book in the library of Hogwarts.

And a man who was crying silently in his bed, but he wasn't sad. He was crying for happiness.