Chapter 8:Ron in his Underwear
"Good morning!" Professor Lupin cried, "Now there's been a slight change of plans. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff-" "Huffley-puffley-huffely-puffely Hufflepuffs!" Draco muttered-" will be having class together and from now on Slytherin and Gryffindors-" "Gryffin-dorks," Draco sniggered-" will be having class with each other. For every class!" He added sharply. "Miss Fleur will assist me this morning. She is going to teach you next week. Right now, she's concentrating on learning everyone's names. This morning," He brought out an old, battered trunk, "We will be reviewing what we learned in our third year, since that appears to be the last time you learned anything. Today, we will be dealing with boggarts. Again. Can anyone tell me the spell for repelling boggarts?" He pointed at Neville, "Ah, Mr. Longbottom?"
"The spell is 'riddikulus' and the key to destroying a boggart is laughter," Neville said slowly.
"Very good. Five points to Gryffindor. You should all remember what a boggart is and let's begin! Miss Granger can you start please?" He opened the case. Something white and black crawled out. It stood up slowly and zoomed in front of Hermione. It was a child in a white gown with long black hair drenched in water. Hermione opened her mouth as if she were going to scream. The child flickered like a television. "R-r-riddikulus," she gasped. CRACK! The child's dress turned into a swimsuit and it fluffed up a towel and put on sunglasses as it were going to get a tan.
"Good," Fleur said, "Now 'arry your turn." Harry stepped up and got ready. The boggart changed into a dementor. "RIDDIKULUS!" The dementor began to perform what looked like a deranged can-can. CRACK! Draco had stepped up and it turned into a white bunny. "NOOOOO!" Draco cried, "NOT FLUFFYKINS! NOT FLUFFYKINS! RIDDIKULUS! RIDDIKULUS!" The rabbit fell over dead. "Ca-ching!" Draco had recovered, "Take that!" CRACK! It was a dragon. CRACK! Now it was Neville's turn, Professor Snape walked towards him, "RIDDIKULUS!" Snape was in a neon yellow Speedo. The class laughed and laughed. The boggart blew up.
After Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Hermione went up to Draco, "Draco," She had recovered from her boggart, "What was so scary about a white rabbit?"
"It's no ordinary rabbit," Draco said, "It can jump about this far," he moved his hand s back and forth trying to show the distance, "And his teeth are like this long," he put his fingers by his mouth like fangs. "It's evil. It's a bloodthirsty rabbit, I swear. I loved the thing and yet," He shivered, "How I loathe it."
"Alright then," Harry said in an amused voice.
"Hey Malfoy," Dean walked up to him, "Some wizard you are," His voice was higher as he imitated him, "Oh no not a big scary wabbit, oh no, oh no."
"Shut your mouth," Draco threatened, "Before I shut it for you."
"Oh whatcha gonna do?" Dean taunted.
"SILENCIO!" A jet of purple light shot out of his wand and hit Dean squarely in the mouth. Dean opened and closed his mouth rapidly, trying to talk; angrily he pulled out his wand. A jet of blue hit Draco and knocked him off his feet. He sat up and gasped for breath. Dean glared at him. Draco started turning pale, he kept gulping for air but he couldn't get any. "DEAN!" Hermione cried, "Stop it! He'll suffocate! You'll be expelled!" Dean thought about this and flicked his wand. Draco started breathing normally, taking huge gulps of air. Dean took out a sheet of paper and wrote, "Give me back my voice, now. Or I'll hex you again."
"Finite Incanteum," Draco gasped. Dean turned around and walked off. "What's… up… with…him?" Draco was slowly getting his breath back. "That's …advanced …Dark …magic."
"What?" Harry looked shocked, "Dark Magic? I've never seen Dean act like that before. He's usually pretty nice. He wouldn't do that! Ever!"
"He was acting weird," Ron said, "He just stood off by himself and wouldn't talk to anyone. That's not Dean."
Draco stood up, "I say we follow him, because if I'm right, he's not going to Divination. Let's figure out what he's up to. It's the Dream Team plus one." Snape had referred to Hermione, Ron and Harry as the Dream Team on several occasions.
They ran down the hallway Dean had gone down, "Look," Draco said, "he's in that classroom." The four of them rushed over to the door and looked in. Dean was tying up a large bundle and a cat was rubbing around his legs.
"I've never seen Mrs. Norris act like that," Ron said.
"Something's definitely up," Harry observed. As he said this, Dean started to get paler. His hair grew longer and filthier.
"Filch?" Hermione gasped, "But he's a Squib! There's no way he could have done that spell on Draco! It's not possible!"
"Eh? Whassat?" Filch turned around and got up. He walked slowly to the door. "No one makes a fool of Argus Filch, not anymore at least," He added quietly with a small chuckle.
"Run," Ron choked out. Everyone bolted; Draco beat all of them to the Divination classroom. Hermione was last. "Oh, no," she gasped, "I'm late for Arithmancy, I got to go!" She started running down the stairs to her classroom.
"Ah, I predicted you three would be late," Professor Trelawney said in her misty voice, "The crystal ball told me so. Come in, come in." She beckoned to them. Harry looked around and noticed Dean sitting in a corner. "I'm going to go sit with Dean and see if I can get some answers." Harry sat down next to Dean. "Dean," Harry asked, "I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me?"
"Sure," Dean replied.
"My first one is-" Harry began, but Trelawney interrupted him.
"Today we will be studying the bones of animals. They have been baked in an Eternal Flame. To do this, you must read the cracks of it." She took Draco's bone and stared at it, "Oh no," She muttered quietly, "Your bone is not a happy one. You will be put in grave peril. Your blood relative will suffer greatly for what he has done. Someone will die because of what he has done." Draco stared at her and it looked as if she gave a hint of a smile and was it just his imagination or was there a malicious gleam in her eyes?
"Don't worry," Ron whispered as she walked away, "She's always predicting Harry's death and he's healthy. He hasn't dropped dead yet."
Draco turned pale, "But part of that prediction is true, my dad, he… did something that didn't please…someone…well, you know who I'm talking about…" Ron remember the previous year when they had met Draco's father in the Department of Mysteries, and learned that he really was a Death Eater. "And the person is going to punish him. I can't go into details, though. I would… but my dad won't let me tell anyone."
"Hermione doesn't know?" Ron asked.
"Especially not Hermione," Draco said, before realizing what he said. "Stop asking me questions!"
"Don't get your undies in a bundle! Sorry to bother you! Sorry I was acting concerned! You know what? Sorry I tried to act like a FRIEND!" Ron snapped. Draco gave Ron a glare that sent chills down his spine. They worked in silence for the rest of class. Draco and Ron were starting to get along better but they still argued and fought. Harry got along with Draco a little easier.
"How was Divination?" Hermione asked cheerfully. She had run all the way from her Arithmancy classroom to meet them.
"Fine," Ron grunted.
"Okay," Draco said moodily.
"Harry, did you find out anything about Dean?" Hermione looked concerned. "I bet he used the Polyjuice Potion to turn into Dean."
"Dean says he doesn't remember anything which means there's a chance it was the Polyjuice Potion."
"What's wrong with Draco and Ron?"
"I don't know," Harry grinned, "I reckon they shouldn't have been partners.
"Aww…" Hermione looked at Draco, "Are you his friend?" Hermione jumped a bit when she saw the ferocious glare Draco shot at her. Ron glared at her too. "God, what is up with you two?"
"Why don't you ask Ron? He's your friend," Draco said acidly. "Besides, you wouldn't want to trust me." He stormed off.
"Ron!" Hermione turned to stare at him, "What did you say to him?"
Ron looked bewildered as he answered her, "Nothing! Trelawney just read his little bone thingy and predicted someone is gonna die because of something his dad did."
"What did he do? I'm going to talk to him!" Hermione turned to leave, but Ron put his hand on her shoulder, "No, please don't. I have this bad feeling that it's about you. Give him sometime to cool off."
"Fine," Hermione grumbled.
At dinner, Hermione couldn't find Draco anywhere. She asked Crabbe and Goyle and Millicent. They hadn't seen him. She got so desperate she even asked Pansy. She got back to her table and sat down. Harry said he probably just isn't hungry and Ron said he just needs some time alone, probably.
"Hey Malfoy." Draco looked up from the letter he was tying to an owl. A lean figure stood in the doorway of the Owlery.
"What do you want Potter? Why can't you just leave me alone?" Draco snarled.
"What are you doing up here?" Harry asked.
"Plotting to kill you!" He said sarcastically. He finished tying the letter to his eagle owl. "What does it look like? I'm mailing a letter, you prat!"
"Well, sorry," Harry said sarcastically.
"Shut up! Shut UP!" Draco was near hysteria. "That's all you and Weasley ever say 'I'm sorry to bother you.' Sorry this! Sorry that!" He mimicked.
"What's wrong with you?" Harry stepped forward and reached out his hand. "I'm s- I mean- I didn't mean to make you upset! I mean, sure we're not the greatest of friends but you can tell me what's up."
"Don't touch me Potter!" Draco whirled on him. "I don't need you're stupid pity! Let's all feel sorry for Draco Malfoy since he has some problems. Newsflash Potter, I'm not perfect! Everyone has PROBLEMS!"
"I KNOW THAT!" Harry yelled. He lowered his voice, "But most people let their problems out!" The owls ruffled and looked annoyed.
"WELL I CAN'T!" Draco had tears streaming down his face now. Harry took a step back and a shocked expression came on his face. "YOU DON'T GET IT! YOU JUST DON'T GET IT!" Draco shouted, "I CAN'T TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT MY PROBLEMS SINCE IT WOULD PROBABLY JUST LAND SOMEONE IN AZKABAN!" He sat down on the ground. "I can't talk to my parents, it's just not the same. They won't tell me anything." He had regained some of his composure; "I don't even know what's going on in my own house half the time!"
Harry stood there speechless. He had never seen Draco like this; he didn't even know Draco had feelings, let alone the ability to cry. "Hermione…" he began, "She wouldn't tell anyone. She would listen! She's one of the-"
Draco wiped his face, "I told you! I can't tell ANYONE about my problems. You don't get it!" He stood up and brushed off his clothes, "You know who my dad works for. So, put it all together and you get the answer!"
Harry shifted the subject, "Who were you writing to?" He asked this casually although he knew it probably was-
"My father. There, are you happy? I was writing to my father! Any other questions you want to ask since we're playing the 'Interrogate Draco and Then Feel Sorry For Him' game?"
"Don't go into hysterics! You didn't even have to answer the question!"
"Well then why did you ask it?" Draco snapped.
"Here." Harry's face turned red. Draco did have a point. Harry held out something wrapped in a napkin. "Take it." Draco reached out and opened it. He looked up, "A roll? What the heck, Harry?"
"It's from Hermione!" Harry said quickly, "You missed dinner."
"Oh, right," he shoved it back at Harry, "I don't want it."
"Why?" Harry asked. He expected an answer along the lines of "Because the filthy, little Mudblood touched it!"
"I'm not hungry." Draco started to leave. "Thanks anyway, tell her I said that."
"Why don't you tell her?"
Draco paused, "Because I'm tired and I'm going to bed and the chances off us running into each other is about the same as Ron running around in his underwear yelling, 'I'm immortal!'"
"Well, you know, in a way, Gryffindors are sort of…" Harry began.
"Oh, God," Draco said, "You're not immortal; you're just lucky… and stupid."
"That sounds more like the Malfoy I know," Harry smiled.
