Chapter 12 (What I did was wrong?)

"Sir… I'm stuck up here… on air…"

"You're stuck? Now how did that happen?" Dumbledore stared at Draco knowingly. He already had an idea of what had happened but he wanted to hear Draco speak the truth. He smiled and waited for his response.

Draco gulped. He knew the look that the headmaster was giving him. Dumbledore was seeing through him.

'I hope I don't get into too much trouble…'

He gazed at Hermione who was limp in his arms, unconscious. "Why did you have to pick the time to jump when I was just around the corner? I wouldn't have saved you…" He said softly.

'But you did save her… It's too late to change that now…' A voice inside him said.

'Why did I do it?' He didn't even want to answer that question. He just wanted to get out of this mess.

But somewhere deep in his heart, he knew why he did it. The look that Hermione gave him before she jumped was an image he would never forget. Her eyes alone conveyed deep sorrow. At that time, he couldn't just let her end her life. He acted without thinking. He just got up and done it. Call him anything but he was still human, he knew what grief could cost a person.

They were all looking at him. He was taking too long to respond. Finally, Draco cleared his throat and said, "Sir, I… TRIED to apparate but FAILED to do it correctly."

"Why I never…" Professor McGonagall stood stiffly as she looked back at Dumbledore, her eyes wide in shock. "Headmaster, that's impossible! Hogwarts has protection against apparating! Surely, no one would be able to apparate in our school."

Dumbledore placed one hand under his chin and thought for a moment. "Last time I checked, we still have that sort of protection. Something tells me though that you are forgetting something, Minerva. Isn't it that some of the sixth years are having their apparition tutorial today? It is possible that Mr. Malfoy was able to apparate when the apparition ban has been temporarily lifted to make way for the practicing sixth years."

Professor McGonagall's face reddened. "I… You're right headmaster… That completely slipped off of my mind. But it still doesn't explain how Mr. Malfoy is now floating in mid-air."

"That is what concerns me, Minerva. I suspect that Mr. Malfoy is notyet thatgood in apparating. Am I right, young man? Well then I only suggest that you listen well in the next apparation tutorial." Dumbledore looked at Draco expectedly.

"Y-yes Sir… I…" Draco said exhaustedly. He couldn't take this anymore. The girl he was carrying seemed to add more pounds on her body in each minute that passes, making her hard to carry. Draco's arms were also already numb and all that floating wasn't doing him any good; and here are his teachers continuing to have a long discussion with his pathetic attempt at apparating instead of helping him and Hermione get down at once.

"I have a theory, headmaster. It is possible that my student apparated at the wrong time. Probably when he was about to land on the ground, the apparition ban returned and so he wasn't able to complete his apparating. That is why he is now stuck in mid-air," said Snape knowingly while looking at Draco straight in the eyes.

"Yes, it is possible Severus but for now I think our young man right here is growing a bit restless. We must bring him down now and have Ms. Granger brought to the hospital wing," said Dumbledore thoughtfully and as he did, he extended his right arm and pointed it at Draco and Hermione, muttering a few incantations under his breath.

'Whew… It's about time! I thought I was never going to get down. Why do old people have to speak so much instead of focusing on the problem at hand? Adults…' he sighed.

Draco and Hermione slowly descended. Draco landed softly on his feet with Hermione still in his arms. He had to support her body for if he didn't, she would fall.

'God... I can't feel my arms' he thought as he slowly let go of Hermione absent mindlessly and shook his arms on his sides to get rid of the sick feeling, making Hermione… fall with a loud thud.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Professor Mcgonagall said in reprimand as she took one step forward.

"Ooops… Sorry 'bout that…" Draco smiled naughtily and bent down to grab Hermione by the waist. "Just had to shake my arms, you know. All that carrying made my arms feel numb." He said in a pathetic way for an excuse. Thankfully, Hermione was still unconscious and wasn't at all affected by the impact.

"That's enough for now. Minerva, would you please bring Ms. Granger to the hospital wing so that Madame Pomfrey can resuscitate her? Thank you." Dumbledore said briskly.

The transfiguration teacher took Hermione from Draco and conjured a stretcher out of nowhere. There she placed Hermione's body and made the stretcher move on its own to the hospital wing with the teacher pointing her wand at it.

Dumbledore now looked at Draco and said, "As for you young man, you must tell us what really happened. Come; let us speak in the Teacher's Lounge. You too, Severus." He motioned for the two to come.


"SHE WHAT!" exclaimed Professor Snape for Draco had just told them that Hermione had planned to commit suicide and had Draco not been at the right place and at the right time, she would have been dead by now.

Dumbledore just sat quietly, comprehending on what Draco had just said. 'What could have triggered this girl to try taking her own life?' He thought. 'What kind of trouble is she in?' And at that, he asked Draco once more; "You said you saw her running from a separate direction before she jumped. Now, where do you think did she come from?"

"Err… I think she came from Arithmancy class."

"And why do you say that?"

'Oh shit… He might think that I've researched her class schedule'

"Uhhh… Because the Arithmancy classroom is situated in the third floor? Yeah, that's it…"

"Hmmm… We'll have to talk to Professor Grillwalker then. She might be able to shed some light on this situation," said Dumbledore, his right hand stroking his chin.

"Ummm… Sir… Does this mean that I'm not in trouble? I mean I did save her and all so… can I go n--" Draco was cut off in mid sentence by the sudden loud opening of the door.

BAM

In came Professor McGonagall who was white in the face and was trembling all over, her finger shakingly pointing at Draco. "You… YOU!" She yelled and lunged towards him.

Draco backed down into a wall. He didn't know what was happening. His teacher was giving him a deadly look. Her face looked livid. And for the first time in his life, Draco felt perturbed. "Professor… I…"

"Minerva, calm down… What is wrong? Is Ms. Granger awake now? Is she alright?" Dumbledore asked hurriedly, concern and shock written all over his face.

"Draco was just telling us how Hermione tried to commit suicide and that he saved her from doing so." Snape added in interferance. He was intrigued as to why the Transfiguration teacher was acting that way. Whatever the reason was, it's not good, he thought.

"You want to know what happened, huh? I'll tell you what REALLY happened! When Hermione woke up after Pomfrey resuscitated her, she became hysterical and kept on shouting. We had to calm her down and make her stable but not after she said that young Mr. Malfoy here had pushed her over the stairs' railings and tried to kill her. The poor girl told me that she muttered some incantation to make him change his mind, and so he did at the LAST minute. But that's not the point! Draco tried to kill one of my students!" Professor McGonagall said in an outrage.

"That's not true! Professor… I SWEAR! I did not try to kill Hermione! I saved her! She tried to kill herself! I had nothing to do with it!" Draco said in horror. He looked at Dumbledore and Snape and finally at his Transfiguration teacher who looked as if she was poised for the kill.

"Draco…" Dumbledore said softly. He felt a big headache coming onto him with all that is happening today. He didn't know whom to believe.

Even Professor Snape was shocked and was quiet. He could not believe that his favorite pupil could do such a thing but then again, he never did know how much Draco was capable of.

"Professor, I swear I did not try to kill Hermione! Please believe me!" Draco pleaded. He looked at his House head for support but he too was at a loss for words.

Draco felt like his whole world has come down on him. His life shattered by this particular incident. He did not kill anyone and was not capable of doing so. He was shaking. And as he tried to make his teachers believe that he did not try to kill anyone, he bowed his head, his bangs concealing his pale blue eyes.

'I did not do it…'

'I did not do it…'

'I did not do it…'

And on and on, he said as one by one, tears started to fall from his eyes.