Chapter 15:Free For All Massacre of Death
"Draco, what are you doing?" Draco looked up from the note he was furiously scribbling.
"Hmm?"
"Draco," Hermione sighed, "What ARE you doing?"
"Writing…"
"Thank you for that obvious statement." Hermione pulled up a chair and sat down. "What happened to your research you had to do?"
"I did it." Draco finished what he was writing and got out a new piece of paper. "I got a suspicious note… Ooooo. Oh yeah, and one from S," He handed them to her, "Should we get Weasel, the Wonder Boy and the Boy who Lived? I think now would be a good time for their 'heroic'-" he did quotes with his fingers, "-instincts?"
"Whose heroic instincts?" Ron asked as he and Harry pulled up his chair. "So now I'm Weasel, the Wonder Boy instead of plain, old Weasel?"
"Yeah, pretty much…" Draco said nonchalantly.
"And I'm the Boy Who Lived… how creative. You must've stayed up ALL night thinking it up," Harry said sarcastically.
"Well, you could've been 'Potty, the Super Toilet!' or 'Potty, the Human Toilet' or 'Potty- Too Mental Too-"
"That's enough!" Harry said. Ron and Hermione laughed behind him. "HEY! Cut that out!" Harry smiled, "Draco, you can be 'Draco- The World's Most Obnoxious Git' or 'Draco- Terry Cloth Bathrobe Boy' and your dad can be 'LUSCIOUS- the Human Chocolate Cake or-"
"How many times do I have to tell you my dad's allergic to chocolate!"
"I like the 'Luscious' one," Hermione said earnestly. "Harry, have you read these notes?" She handed the piece of parchment.
Friend,
Fleur is being kept where Cedric died. I will reveal myself to you soon since I have escaped my captors. We need to work out a plan. Hurry! There's not much time. The two untrustworthy people plan to take action.
-S
"We're going to find out who 'S' is!" Hermione squealed, "Isn't that great…" Her smile faded, "Unless it's a trap… Give that note to Ron to read and read the other one."
Dearest Draco,
Hello again. How are you? Are you ready to come visit me for the summer? Remember to bring your swimming trunks. I was just thinking about the time you were two and you were in the pool and-
Draco snatched the letter out of Harry's hand. "Wrong letter." He blushed slightly.
"Who's it from? Are you cheating on Hermione?" Harry sniggered.
"NO! It's from my aunt. You know, Bellatrix," Draco said quickly. Harry's face grew dark. "Oh, sorry… I, uh, forgot…"
"That…GRRR! She killed Sirius!" Harry snarled. Draco thrust the correct letter at him.
"Read this!" he said urgently.
Dear Draco,
Your father has requested that you are present at the next meeting. He feels that you are ready and are mature enough in your studies; both at school and at home. I will inform you of the place and time the Dark Lord has chosen for our next meeting. I look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
Antonin Dolohov
"You're going to become a Death Eater?" Harry stared at Draco.
"Yes," Draco answered calmly, "but that's what's so suspicious about the letter. I'm not allowed to join them until I graduate from Hogwarts. Plus no one can trust Dolohov. Not event the Dark Lord himself does."
"Do you think it's a mistake?" Hermione asked.
"No, I think it's a trap!" Draco said coldly, "That's why I'm writing a letter to my father about this and I'm going to mail him the two notes as well."
"About S's letter," Ron asked, "Where did Cedric die?"
"In a graveyard," Harry said grimly, "But I don't remember which one."
"I can ask my dad," Draco said, "He was there, right?"
"Yeah, he was," Harry replied.
"Harry, do you know what day it was?" Hermione asked anxiously, "Because the Death Eaters probably have met in hundreds of different ones!"
"Voldemort's house-" Everyone flinched, "It was on top of the hill. It overlooked the graveyard," Harry said slowly, "His dad, Voldemort's dad, he was buried there! The date, though…"
"STOP SAYING HIS NAME!" Draco said loudly, "Someone will hear you… we can't risk it. It's up to us to save Fleur… my father and 'S' can help. Do you remember what time it was?"
"NO! It was two years ago, Draco!" Harry said annoyed, "It was… GRR! I don't remember the day!"
"It's okay!" Hermione said, "I think we have enough information for Draco's dad to tell us where it is. I mean, how many graveyards have You-Know-Who's dad buried in them?"
"True," Draco said, "But my dad's not just going to let me walk into a Death Eater meeting with only Dolohov's invite! The Dark Lord needs to know! My dad needs to know if it's okay to bring me!"
"You can forge handwriting, right?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, what's your point?" Draco looked impatient and tired.
"Why can't you forge a letter from You-Know-Who?"
"RON!" Draco cried in frustration. The librarian shushed him loudly and several students stared at him. "Ron," Draco lowered his voice, "The Dark Lord probably wouldn't write letters. They can be traced and intercepted. Plus, I've never seen his handwriting."
"Then we'll have to sneak in and out without your dad- and the school- noticing," Hermione said determinedly. Ron, Harry and Draco stared at her. "What?"
"You want to break the rules?" Harry gasped.
"You realize we could get killed or tortured if we got caught," Draco gulped.
"Well, that's a risk we'll have to take…" Hermione stated.
"You mean, WE'LL-" Harry pointed to Ron and Draco, "Have to take."
"What do you mean?" Hermione looked confused.
"You don't get it?" Draco looked frustrated, "After the whole assassination fiasco, you still don't get it? Hermione, you'd be the first one they'd kill! You're a Mud- I mean- Muggle-born! They'd love to have you just wander into a meeting. Fun for all," he said grimly.
"You almost called her a Mudblood, Draco," Ron pointed out.
"Sorry," he blushed a bit, "But that's why you can't come!"
"But you're dad said a long time ago, the Weasleys were a disgrace to all purebloods. And Voldemort and Harry- one has to kill the other!" Hermione argued, "You're the only one who actually would have a chance to live!"
"Fine," Draco said solidly, "I'm going alone. You're all at risk if we all go. Besides, Fleur's my cousin! I don't want to drag you into all of this!"
"No!" Hermione and Ron said.
"We're going with you, Malfoy," Harry said firmly, "We're you're friends now and there's no getting rid of us. We all go or no one goes."
"You're not going to change your minds, are you?" Draco frowned.
"Nope," Ron said cheerfully.
"I'm going too!" said a voice from behind them. They all turned around.
"NEVILLE?" Draco yelped, "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN STANDING THERE?"
"OUT!" pointed the librarian, "GET OUT!"
Outside the library, Draco asked again, "Neville, how long were you standing here? What did you hear?"
"Enough," Neville said, "Enough to know that I'm going with you! I can help you! Honest, I can."
"He can," Hermione said, "If any fights break out, Neville can heal us. He got very high marks in Healing!"
"Fine," Draco said, "But as I said, with you all coming; it'll be a free for all massacre of death."
"Well, that's cheerful," Ron said, "I say, BRING IT ON!" He pumped his fist in the air.
"Ah, now what are we doing roaming the corridors?" an oily voice said, "Not causing mischief are we?" They jumped. Behind them was Filch. He notice Draco was staring at his left arm. He quickly rolled down his sleeve. "Go back to your common rooms! All of you!"
"Did you see his arm?" Draco gasped after Filch was out of hearing range, "Did you see it?"
"See what?" They all asked.
"He had the Dark Mark!" Draco hissed, "He's a Death Eater!"
"How?" Harry said, remembering Filch and Kwikspell, "He's a Squib."
"A SQUIB?" Draco yelped, "But how can he be a death Eater?" His face paled, "How much did he hear? Look I'm going to owl my father, now! I need to know where the graveyard is!"
"Tell him you're researching the rise and fall of the Dark Arts for Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Hermione told him, "And you want to know where his parents are buried!"
"Excellent," Draco rubbed his hands, "The perfect lie. I'll see you all in Divination." Draco ran down the stairs, to where, Harry and Ron knew, the Slytherin common room was.
"Do you Filch heard us?" Ron said, "He could've been standing there forever!"
"Oh no!" Hermione panicked, "Since he's a Death Eater, he could inform You-Know-Who we're coming! We'd be doomed!"
"Don't even think about that!" Harry ordered, "The plan isn't even final yet!"
