Chapter 4

Hermione and Ron were sitting on the Gryffindor red couches, back in the Common Room as their day of classes was now finished.

"Ron I'm really worried about Harry. He's been getting stranger and stranger every day."

"Yes I know Hermione. For the millionth time, I'm worried too I just don't see anything we can do about it. Ay the way the teachers are watching Harry 24/7, they're obviously worried too. So anything that needs to be done I'm sure will be done by them."

Hermione sat silent for a moment before responding. "Yea, I suppose your right. Do you think that we should go to Dumbledore anyway and tell him again about Harry? He didn't seem to do anything last time we talked to him and if he did it didn't seem to help anyway. Maybe if we went and talked to him a second time, he'll realize that were serious."

"Hermione, I really don't think that's a good idea. You have to keep in mind that Harry was really mad at us when we went behind his back and talked to the teachers the first time. I don't think he'll like it if we do it a second time to him."

"Well then Ron," Hermione sighed. "What do you think we should do?" Ron sighed as well before answering.

"I don't know Hermione."

"Well neither do I." Hermione frowned. She hated when she didn't have a clue what to do with anything, especially when it was something to do with her friends. She always liked to know everything about everything. "Do you think we should talk to Harry personally? He might talk to us then."

"I suppose that could work," Ron replied without much conviction. The two Gryffindors say there, sorting through their thought when they heard the portrait hole open. The stood from the couch and turned around when in came Harry.

Wait, was Ron really seeing this...Harry was smiling, actually smiling! Ron whispered in Hermione's ear, "well Hermione if you want to talk to him, here's your chance." He pushed Hermione in the direction of the Portrait Hole, right in front of Harry, blocking his way. She turned her head back to Ron and gave him a glare. "Thanks" she mouthed silently to him. Ron just smiled back.

"Hiya Harry!" Hermione said to him, turning back to him, trying to keep on the best, fake smile she could.

"What do you want?" Harry replied, rolling his eyes at her pathetic attempt to talk to him.

"Well Harry, Ron and I..." Hermione turned around and grabbed Ron's shirt, pulling him up beside her, "We're well, um, a little worried about you."

"And why would you be worried about me?" Harry was obviously getting annoyed at them for bugging him. 'So much for staying in a good mood.' Harry thought to himself.

"You've just been acting differently towards us, towards everyone. We were just wondering what was wrong...it's not just us you know Harry. Everyone's worried."

"Nothings wrong Ron, I think everyone should stop worrying about me, and leave me alone. Now if you don't mind, I'm a little tired so I'm going to go to bed. Yes that's right, bed. I don't need you worrying about me there. Alright?" Without a second glance Harry pushed his way past them, climbed up the Gryffindor tower stairs, and entered their empty dorm room.

Harry closed the door behind him. He slid down into a sitting position with his back against the door. He closed his eyes in frustration. "Those two are always ruining my good moods." At that moment Ron started banging his fists against the door, each bang vibrating off Harry's head, causing the frustration to build up further.

"Come on Harry!" Ron yelled through the door. "You can't just avoid us forever. Please just come out here and talk to us!"

"Yea come on Harry! Ron's right. Please just come out!" Hermione pleaded. They continued banging on the door, but Harry just couldn't help but smile to himself. "Are they really that stupid?" He chuckled to himself as they continued knocking on the unlocked door.

Finally though, his frustration got the better of him and he mumbled to himself. "That's it. I've had it with these two." With a sigh, he picked himself off the ground and turned around to face the door. "GO AWAY!" He screamed as he activated the lock on the door. He reached into a pocket in his robes and pulled his wand out. He muttered some quick words, and the walls in the room turned a bright blue, before quickly fading back to normal. "Lovely." Harry thought to himself with a smile. "Good old, simple, silencing charm."

Harry went to go put his wand back into his pocket, when a voice came form the corner of the room, startling him. Harry turned around and there he saw Draco Malfoy, broom in hand. Harry noticed the open window and put two together. Draco spoke again.

"Impressive, Potter. Nice way to finally get rid of those two idiots. It's about time too. You have new friends now; you don't need them." Draco said with smirk, nodding his head towards the door.

"Is there any particular reason you're here Malfoy?" Harry replied, slightly annoyed that Draco was interrupting his "Alone Time". Even though Harry and Draco had become closer over the last few months, Harry still hadn't forgotten all the years of cruelty Draco had put on him. He wasn't in the mood for Draco's attempt at friendship anyway. He was in a bad enough mood already.

"Actually, I have a message from You-Know-Who." Harry cast a nervous glance around when he heard 'You-Know-You'. Draco, having seen this said, "Don't worry Potter, no one can hear us. Your silencing charm remember?" Harry visibly relaxed as Draco laughed. "Well anyway, Master gave this to father, to give to me and you." Draco pulled a mask out from underneath his black robes and passed it to Harry. "It's a mask..."

"No, you must be joking." Harry said mockingly. But Draco, ignoring the sarcasm in Harry's voice, replied.

"No actually, I'm not. Master believes there are spies, traitors, in our midst. He wants us to wear these masks at the Initiation. He doesn't want our identities to be revealed so early in our, well, in our Deatheater careers I suppose."

"Yea, makes sense," Harry answered back. "So have you got your owl from Voldemort yet?" Harry smiled to himself as he saw Draco wince at the name. It was actually pretty pathetic Harry thought, for people to be afraid of a name.

"No not yet, have you?" Harry shook his head. "Well, I'm sure it will be arriving anytime soon, the initiation being next Friday and all." Draco said. They stood there for a moment not saying anything until Draco moved to the window.

"Well Potter, I should be off now. I will see you tomorrow in class." And with that Draco hopped on his broom, and leapt out the window.

"Well that was interesting." Harry thought to himself. He went over to his four poster bed, and lied down. He quickly removed the silencing charm and lock mechanism from the room before turning over and falling asleep.