Chapter 18: Dream Team Plus two
"Draco!" Harry waved, "Do you have the…er…stuff?"
"Right here." He presented a small package. Harry took it and shoved it down into his book bag.
"Guess what?" Hermione said, "I've formulated the perfect plan. Here's what we-"
A letter fell into Draco's lap. He ripped it open and scanned it, "It's from Dolohov." He looked up anxiously, "They've changed the meeting to tomorrow! God, they must be on to us! They don't want us to formulate a plan or double-check it! There's no way-"
"Didn't your dad give you that information later that day?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, but he would have to think about the plan and our chances and stuff," Draco complained, "Plus we'd have to get responses from Bell-" Another letter fell into his lap. He opened it, "It's from Bellatrix and Sirius. They know they've changed the day and Bellatrix says Fleur will be there! Sirius says he needs to know our plan. Hermione spill. Neville sit!" Draco pulled Neville down.
"Alright," Hermione began, "We all know that Draco's has to go and we shouldn't be there correct?" Everyone nodded. "Well, we've done this before Draco; we all get under the Invisibility Cloak. That way we can get Fleur. She's small so she should fit. And if Draco gets in any trouble, we'll be there to back him up!"
"That's perfect," Ron said, "Now let's tell Sirius."
"Should we tell my-"?
"Draco," Harry turned around, "Your dad doesn't even know. You know my connection with Voldemort, right? Well, he's thinking it will surprise your dad and for some reason, I don't think that's good."
"Stop saying his name," Ron said.
Draco smacked his fist on his palm, "I'm going to get Fleur or die trying! Look, I don't care!"
"Alright, let's tell Sirius," Hermione said.
"Sirius is alive?" Neville looked confused, "But I-"
"He faked it," Hermione muttered. She scribbled fiercely, "So we would be safe." She signed it, "There done. Let's mail it. It may not be the best plan in but it's all we've got."
Neville suddenly got pale, "I don't want to do this. My gran…what if I die?" He started becoming hysterical. Other people in the Great Hall were turning around.
Draco grabbed Neville by his shoulders and shook him hard. "No one's going to die," he hissed. "You'll be fine…" He let Neville go. "Just relax."
"He…You-Know-Who…my parents…" he whimpered, "Bellatrix…."
"I swear Bellatrix is NOT after you," Draco said firmly, "She's helping us! Don't back out now! We need you… we need all the help we can get!"
"We're in this together," Harry said, "We're in too far to back out."
"He's right," Hermione agreed. Harry's hand flew to his head. "HARRY!" Hermione reached out, "Are you alright?"
"He's happy; he knows you're coming," Harry said, "Voldemort's happy."
"Stop saying his name!" Draco growled, "Does he know you all are coming?"
"No," Harry said after a long pause, "He thinks it's just you."
"That's good," Hermione breathed, "We wouldn't stand a chance if he did."
"Don't talk like that!" Draco said, "We can all do this. Just an advanced warning, the Dark Lord's got dementors." He grinned, "But we're ready."
"Yeah, sure we are," Harry said.
"It's the Dream Team plus TWO," Draco said heroically, "Versus the Dark Lord and about twenty Death Eaters." He counted on his fingers, "Yeah, that's about right."
"So that means that each of us would have to take about three people," Hermione said, "We're doomed."
"We'll have Fleur though," Ron added, hopefully.
"But…" Draco contradicted, "She'll probably be kind of weak, since she's just been kidnapped and held hostage for about a month!"
"Look!" Draco ran over to the table where Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione were eating lunch. He held up a letter triumphantly, "We've got it! They approve! Now-" he dropped his voice. "We'll have to figure out a way to get out of the castle."
"We've walked…" Harry said, "We could catch the Knight Bus…"
"Or…" Ron said thoughtfully, "We could use broomsticks…"
"Good idea!" Hermione said, "But we'd need some fairly fast brooms…"
"Look," Draco said, "Harry and I have both got Firebolts-"
"You got a Firebolt, too?" Ron gaped.
"For my birthday," Draco said hastily. "I can get you three-" he gestured to Hermione, Ron, and Neville- "Nimbus Two-Thousands and Ones. Ron, you're broom just won't be fast enough." He threw an apologetic glance in his direction. "Sorry."
"That's fine," Hermione said.
"Draco," Harry leaned across the table, "You take the Invisibility Cloak and nab the brooms then get to our common room."
"Oh yeah," Draco said sarcastically, "It should be a cinch. I'll just haul four brooms, in the dark, trying not to make noise, halfway across the castle. Here's what I think-" Draco sat down-" You take my Firebolt and Nimbus Two-Thousand and One to the Gryffindor common room, today. I'll take the two remaining brooms with me, tomorrow."
"I think that should work," Hermione said.
"You have two BROOMS?" Ron gasped.
"Yeah…so?" Draco said casually.
"Never mind…" Ron grumbled.
"What time should I come?" Draco said ignoring Ron.
"Hmm…" Harry said thoughtfully, "How about midnight?"
"We're supposed to be there at midnight!" Draco argued.
"How about ten, then?" Harry asked. "Hey, that rhymed!"
"Great, ten's fine," Draco said, "It'll be hard to sneak out but it can be done!"
"Alight," Hermione confirmed, "Ten tomorrow."
"Ron, Ron, wake up!" Harry jabbed him with his elbow.
"Ow…" Ron complained. "What was that for?" He looked up. Professor Trelawney was two tables away. "Oh."
"Okay, what do you see in my bone? Just make something up! Hurry," Harry hissed.
"And what," Trelawney said, "Do you see in your bone, Ronald?"
"Erm…" Ron turned the bone he had around in his hands, "I see this turtle-y shaped thing-" He quickly flipped through his book. "Erm… it means…uh…"
"I will come back to this table," Trelawney said sharply, "When you are more prepared. Mr. Malfoy!"
Draco's head jerked up, "What?"
"Sleeping in class… five points from Slytherin and detention! Although," she muttered, "I cannot have you tonight, detention tomorrow night!"
"But…" Draco protested angrily, "I wasn't even-"
"Silence or I'll make it ten points from Slytherin!" She put up her hand.
"What was up with Trelawney?" Draco asked. "Why did she give me a detention?"
"She gave you a detention?" Hermione asked, "When?"
"I have it tomorrow night," Draco said angrily, "Our whole plan is screwed now!"
"If we don't hurry," Neville said anxiously, "We'll be late for potions!"
They walked down the corridor quickly. A sign was posted outside the Potions classroom.
"Oh no," Hermione read out loud, "'until further notice Potions has been cancelled. Report to the library for a study hall.' Wonder why?"
"There's Seamus, let's ask him," Neville pointed. "Hey Seamus!"
"Hey, Neville, Harry." Seamus answered, "Everyone else. I can't believe Potions is cancelled! We're so lucky!"
"Do you know why?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, some third year created the wrong potion," Seamus grinned, "Some liquid bomb, I heard. Anyway, it exploded and the whole Potions classroom is destroyed and I heard Snape's in the hospital wing along with half the class."
"And we missed it…" Draco said sadly.
"Why would you want to be there when it happened?" Seamus looked confused.
"Well, it's destruction," Draco explained, "I love the three D's: death, doom, and destruction."
Harry, Neville, Ron, Hermione, and Seamus all stared at him.
"You're kidding right?" Neville asked.
"Nope, not joking," Draco shook his head.
"So what do we do now?" Ron asked. They were all sitting in the library, in the corner farthest from the librarian.
"Plan," Draco said flatly, "Revise the plan to get to the Gryffindor common room since Trelawney screwed it up. I was just thinking, since we have directions to the graveyard, you four can go ahead and fly there under the Invisibility Cloak if I'm not there by say, quarter till eleven."
"Alright, that sounds good," Hermione said, "But how will you get there?"
"I'll figure out that later, remember, I'll be stuck with Trelawney for a couple of hours…" Draco pulled out the letter from Dolohov. "Here, this letter will give you directions. I've already copied them." He handed them the letter.
"Okay," Harry said, "Thanks." Harry took the piece of parchment, folded it up, and stuffed it in his pocket.
"Okay," Ron said, "We're done planning. What do we do now?"
"I don't know; what do you want to do?" Draco asked.
"I don't know; what do you want to do?" Ron replied.
"I don't know; what do you want to do?"
"I asked you first, Draco!"
"Yeah, well, I asked you SECOND!"
"BE QUIET THIS IS A LIBRARY!" the librarian hissed.
"Why don't you then?" Draco mumbled.
"Draco!" Hermione whacked him. "Don't get us kicked out, again!" she grumbled.
"Okay… I won't…this time…" Draco grinned.
"Yeah, thanks…" Harry said.
"For sparing us of another detention…" Ron finished.
"And losing another five or ten points…" Hermione added
"Do you three always finish each other's sentences?" Draco stared, "Because that's REALLY creepy. You need to stop… now… please!"
