Chapter 22: Evil and insane

"Whew! We got here just in time! It's three in the morning!" Hermione said, "Hurry, we have to put on the cloak and get inside…"

"We get three hours of sleep… three bloody hours!" Ron muttered. "What was- Draco! God, he's fainted again!"

"We have to take him up to Pomfrey!" Harry tried to pick Draco up.

"But we'll have to tell them everything!" Hermione cried, "And we'll get in so much trouble!"

"We'll have to risk that!" Harry said firmly. "Come on! Ron get his other arm!" Harry and Ron dragged Draco up to the Hospital wing and Hermione and Neville followed them anxiously.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Ron called nervously. "Are you here?"

"Yes, dear, what seems to be the matter?" Madam Pomfrey turned on a light and bustled over to them.

"He…uh…fainted…" Ron said, groaning under Draco's weight.

"Aren't you in separate houses?" Madam Pomfrey began, "Oh my, all of you! You look like you been in some kind of battle!" They exchange guilty glances around at each other. "Lay down, lay down!" she clucked as she took each person to a bed.

Draco slowly opened his eyes. Sunlight was streaming in the window.

"Yes headmaster, he's been out cold since they brought him," he heard Madam Pomfrey, "Must've been having nightmares or fits. He screamed so loud he could've woken the dead. I don't know what's wrong with him though." She lowered his voice to a whisper, "He's in no condition to be told about his father. He'd probably go into shock!"

"Maybe," Dumbledore began, "I could have a few minutes alone with him when he wakes. Oh, and send the other four up from their classes…"

"What- what time is it?" Draco said groggily as he struggled to sit up, "And what about my father?" Madam Pomfrey cast a worried glance in his direction and left the room.

"It is eleven 'o'clock and some minutes I think," Dumbledore walked over to his bedside. "Do you sincerely wish to be told about your father? I told your mother and she promptly went into a hysteric fit and fainted."

"He's not dead, is he?" Draco gulped.

"No, no, he's barely alive…" Dumbledore pulled over a chair with a wave of his hand and sat down. "Your father is a particularly strong man; especially after what happened to him. He took about five Cruciatus Curses at the same time. He didn't even scream… The people at St. Mungo's aren't quite sure of his sanity yet."

"Ron did say he went-" Draco began.

"No, no," Dumbledore broke in, " He got hit just after I came. I arrived to a few minutes after you five left-"

"You knew?"

"No, your father told me… as I was saying, Dolohov and four others hit him at the same time with the curse and they probably would have continued it had Zambini and Nott not attacked them. Nott took your father to St. Mungo's where he is currently in the most intensive care you can receive."

"So he's-"

"Sane? Yes, I think so. The medical wizards were letting no one see him, but they said he asked for his wife once and keeps asking to see you. Obviously, to make sure you were still alive." Dumbledore looked up as Neville, Ron, Harry, and Hermione walked in.

"You wanted to see us, Professor?" Harry said nervously.

"Yes, I believe I did…" Dumbledore waved his hand and four chairs appeared.

"Professor," Draco said anxiously, "Will my dad be sent to Azkaban, again? For being a-"

"No, he will not," Dumbledore smiled, "Despite the fact he did kill several other Death Eaters-"

"I told you!" Ron said quietly.

"I explained the circumstances to Fudge," Dumbledore continued, "And that he killed in the defense of himself and all of you. Although, you and your father should be happy, Dolohov is in Azkaban, in the most heavily guarded cell possible. Which, I must say isn't that heavily guarded since Tom has most of the dementors… Now, I was hoping you five could explain to me exactly what happened at the Death Eater meeting, Draco, because of your father's position, none of you have to reveal any names but if you can it would be most helpful."

"Well, Sirius is alive," Harry said.

"Trelawney and Filch are evil," Hermione added.

"And insane," Ron reminded them.

"Draco should tell the story," Neville said, nodding his head.

"Well," Draco began. They sat there for two hours listening to Draco recount the entire event with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville adding comments.

"I think," Dumbledore straightened up, "That Draco, you should be taken to St. Mungo's immediately to make sure you are all right and visit your father. In fact, I might be able to arrange it so all of you can go visit Mr. Malfoy since you may own him your life." He winked cheerfully. "I'll get the carriages ready to take you. Oh, and Neville, your healing powers were extraordinary. The healers at St. Mungo's hardly had to do anything to help Mrs. Lestrange. We should return around, say seven?"

"We leave school in the middle of the night and now Dumbledore is letting us skip the rest of the day? How weird is that?" Ron exclaimed.

"He seems in a pretty good mood," Draco said as he lay back down on the pillows, "Especially since we just told him we left school to go to a Death Eater meeting…"

"You mean YOU left school to go to the meeting," Harry contradicted, "We came to watch your back…"

"Then why did you go when I was kidnapped?" Draco retorted.

"Hmmm…no idea…" Harry muttered.

"So we just wait up here until Dumbledore comes back?" Neville asked.

"Sure… I guess, I mean what else can I do?" Draco said.

"Shut up and sleep…" Harry yawned, "I'm running on three hours of sleep. I am not very happy… plus I ache all over."

"You should," Draco grinned, "You were only attacked by a bunch of Death Eaters and tied to a…" Draco drifted off and fell asleep.

"I'm going to lay down, too," Harry announced, "I'm exhausted."

"Me, too," Neville admitted.

"Ditto," Ron yawned.

"Fine," Hermione crossed her arms, "I'll stay awake and watch for Dumbledore."

"Well, you five will be satisfied to know that you can sleep on your journey to St. Mungo's," Dumbledore smiled, "And that you can catch up on your schoolwork and your sleep since tomorrow is Saturday."

"Great," Harry stretched.

"Ha!" Ron yawned, "I knew you wouldn't be able to stay awake, Hermione! I knew it!"

"Woohoo for you, Ron…" Hermione pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

"Come with me…" Dumbledore opened up the doors and led the students out to the area where the carriages were waiting.

"Were there always horses pulling the carriages?" Ron asked in alarm. "Draco, can you see them? Wait, bad idea asking you! Hermione, can you? Harry? Blimey, I've gone mental!"

"No, Ron," Hermione sighed, "I can't see them…"

"I can," Draco said, "After watching some Death Eater snuff it last night… they're threstrals. Like my Patronus…"

"Ron, I've been able to see them for two years…you're not mental," Harry said in an annoyed voice.

"Oh good," Ron sighed, "For a minute there…"

"Yes, he is mental because Hermione and Neville are the only sane people in this lot and-" Draco started to say.

"I can see them, too," smiled Neville.

"Okay, so Hermione is the one and only sane person in this lot…that's our age!"