Chapter 9
The next day was a joyous one, filled with celebration. Ginny was found in the third floor girl's bathroom next to the sinks by a curious first year. Hope rose up like a bullet, that no one else would die and the perpetrator would be found. Of course Dumbledore cultivated on the high spirits to blind the student body to the severity of the situation and assure concerned parents that everything was under control.
The end of the year was fast approaching and with that the excitement in the castle. Students were eager to go back home and teachers for a whole two months without students. Theodore though was nervous. Harry had promised to get his family situation back to normal but on one condition. He should convince his father to give him the lunar crystal without raising suspicion on Harry. He didn't even know what it was. All he knew from the one time he questioned Harry was that it was a stone that raised the power of the moon in certain conditions. He guessed that it was for a powerful ritual. He got why Harry chose to ask him to bring it. His father used to have the most shares in Spin and Knickknack Shipping, a company that collected and shipped rare magical artifacts. His father could attain rare objects easily due to his reputation. If anyone could get the lunar crystal it was his father. Though his father was a bit crazy he could never give him the thing without sufficient reason. Even thinking about it made his stomach feel like lead. Even so he would have to do it. For his family's social status, for his pureblood name, he could not shame the Nott name. What pureblood had no sickle to their name anyway? This had to be done, one way or the other.
Draco moved through the train looking for his compartment. It was the end of the year now and the train was taking them back to King's Cross. He opened his door to find his friends already settled in there. Daphne, Theodore, Blaize, Millicent, Pansy Vincent, Gregory and Astoria. They looked up at him. "Where is Harry?" Daphne asked. Draco frowned. "I don't know. He said he'd be here." The others shrugged. The blonde got out, determined to find his elusive friend. He checked all the compartments from back to front but did not find him anywhere. The only place he did not look was the one he couldn't get into.
Draco sighed in frustration. "Of course, he doesn't like company!" he turned back to the front of the train and stopped before the first door. The only door he could not open even with a spell. He knocked brusquely. "Harry, open up!" There was a soft click. He tried the door and it swung open smoothly. Harry was inside reading a large book. "You said you'll join us today." "I said we'll meet in our compartment. And here we are." Harry replied, gesturing vaguely to the compartment. Draco gritted his teeth in anger but then willed himself to relax. This was Harry, and if he wanted to stay by his side he would have to live with it.
He sat down across from Harry. "What will you be doing this summer?" Harry shrugged. "Nothing you should concern yourself with." Draco stayed silent for a while, gazing into Harry's face. "Does it have something to do with shady connections?" he fetched. Harry lifted his eyes to meet his with a raised eyebrow. Draco shifted nervously in his seat, twisting his heir ring. "Father might have mentioned that you talk to odd people." Harry's eyebrow rose higher. He shut his book to put it aside then faced the nervous Draco. "He told you that?" Draco nodded. "Well he was right. I do talk to odd people. Do you have a problem with that?" Harry inquired. Draco shook his head no. "Good." Harry went back to his book. Draco fiddled with his fingers. Harry sighed and put down his book again, looking at Draco pointedly. The blonde blurted "What do you talk about?" "Really?" Was Harry's amused question. "Do you really want to know." "Yeah." "We talk about death, about stealing, about dark rituals, about dark artifacts and about the dark lord's return." Draco stared in disbelief, mouth agape. He slowly collected himself, to Harry's enjoyment, and looked away deep in thought. They got to King's Cross a few hours later. They bid each other farewell and Harry quickly went to the nearest floo network and transported home to enjoy solitary relaxation.