Snuffles, I heard about the rumour already going around and I needed to quickly send this letter to you to warn you that Slytherin House is teeming with excitement at this and I don't like the sound of it. Keep your guard up and stay alert, they might try to do something to further these rumours.
D.
The letter was shorter than Harry had anticipated and leaned back into his seat with a sigh. Draco was right, Slytherin House would do all sorts of things now to try and get a rise out of him—make him look like the Heir of Slytherin. He wondered what sort of tricks they would pull and if his temper could handle it. The more stressed he got, the more his firm control over his emotions began to loosen.
He ran a hand through his hair. It was longer than he would like and he thought about getting some scissors to cut it, but his energy was so drained that he didn't want to move from the chair for the next week.
Dinner must have ended for the sounds of voices began to filter towards the common room. Harry groaned and got out of his seat, dragging himself up the stairs before the first person entered the common room and saw the rumoured Heir of Slytherin looking utterly exhausted.
Harry decided that maybe he should shower and then just get into bed, so he did so. Allowing the water to relax him to the point that when he stepped into the room, he did not care that his roommates were probably murmuring about him and giving him looks. All he wanted to do was sleep.
Harry closed the bed curtains with a swish of his hand, not bothering to get out his wand to do so. Perhaps he should have been alarmed by his casual use of wandless magic, but his exhaustion didn't allow it. His eyelids growing heavy, Harry fell asleep easily, dreaming nothing of a soft breeze and a sky that matched the colour of someone's eyes so perfectly.
Harry awoke feeling rested and calm, but the reminder of the rumours currently spreading like Fiendfyre around the castle quickly cast Harry into a bubble of dread. This calm wouldn't last for long. He shuffled through his morning routine and found a reading Hermione sitting in a chair by the fire. He sat down next to her and waited for her to notice he was there to say his greetings.
"Oh, good morning, Harry!" Hermione smiled suddenly, surfacing out of her book.
Harry smiled in reply. "Morning 'Mione. What're you reading?" he asked, peeking over to see the cover.
"I went to the library this morning to see if I could find anything on the Chamber of Secrets—I don't think this has anything though." she sighed, closing the book with a soft thud.
"Dumbledore did say it wasn't a myth so there has to be something on it right?" Harry said, leaning back into the chair and trying not to think too hard, even though his brain was already whirring.
"Excited for your first game today?" Hermione asked and Harry sighed.
He was excited of course, but with everything going on he also felt like it was a waste of time. He could be doing so many other things than Quidditch at this moment, and Wood was pushing them to the limits in training which was starting to get on Harry's nerves.
"I am excited, I just feel like I could be doing so many other things right now, like helping look for this Chamber or helping Draco," Harry explained and Hermione nodded, giving him a look of sympathy.
"That's understandable, but remember Harry, you have me and Ron to help, you don't have to shoulder it all on your own." Hermione gave him a reassuring smile and Harry returned it.
"Thanks, Hermione. Merlin, what would I do without you?" Harry chuckled, feeling grateful for his friendship with Hermione all over again.
They sat in companionable silence for a moment longer and then Ron came skipping down the stairs, excitement radiating off of him.
"Today is the day, Harry! Time to beat those Slytherins into the dust!"
Harry laughed and put on airs of excitement. He didn't want Ron to think that he wasn't excited, because he was, perhaps just not to the point that Ron was.
"How about Draco, are you excited to beat him?" Ron asked as they were walking to breakfast, nerves slowly beginning to bundle in his stomach.
"I don't know, it feels a bit weird, but don't worry Ron, I'm not going to go easy on him," he said reassuringly.
Ron scoffed, "I hope you don't."
Harry mostly played with his food as he sat with his team today. He listened as Captain Oliver Wood went over the team strategy for the millionth time. Harry wanted to tell him to shut up, that he was just making him more nervous and annoyed but kept his mouth shut and watched the twins mimic Oliver —when he wasn't watching—to keep his temper at bay.
"George, Fred, this is serious!" Oliver barked, catching the twin's misbehaviour and setting off a wave of giggles and snickers through the team. Harry smirked, but after a sharp glare from Oliver, quickly neutralised his face.
"So remember, they may have faster brooms than us but we have better people on our brooms. We will make them rue the day that they let that little slimy Malfoy buy his way onto their team!" The team cheered and finished up their food. Harry didn't cheer, he knew that Draco had technically bought his way onto the team, but Draco's father had been the one to insist on buying his team the brooms, not Draco himself. It seemed his father didn't think that he was good enough to make it onto the team with his own skill.
Harry tried to take another bite of food but felt nausea begin to rise and instantly gave up on eating. He went back to Gryffindor tower to collect his Quidditch robes and walked down to the field. Ron and Hermione were already stationed at the stands and he gave them a quick wave when he spotted them. The forming clouds forebode the falling of rain and Harry huddled his scarf closer to his mouth. Why did Quidditch have to be during the dreary and wet season of winter?
The team was brimming with nervous excitement when he entered the change rooms and Harry quickly changed. They had fifteen more minutes before they had to be on the field.
"Alright team, one last pep talk before we crush those Slytherins into the ground!"
Harry inwardly groaned and huddled next to George and Angelina, hoping that Oliver would keep it short.
"Now we all remember the strategies and the formations that we need to be keeping. Harry, no pressure, but you need to catch that Snitch as soon as possible. They're going to be quicker than us and we don't want them to get ahead. From what I've seen, Malfoy is fast, so you will have to be faster."
"No pressure," George murmured, winking at him and Harry wanted to kick the back of his leg, but he withheld the impulse.
Oliver rambled on through the ten minutes to spare, but Harry tuned him out and thought about Draco and how he had to remember that he was his opponent today. He had never seen Draco play before and hoped that Draco could keep up with him; he didn't want to beat Draco so much that he became humiliated.
"Let's go Gryffindors!" Oliver finally announced and they all cheered, crowding out of the changing rooms and marching onto the field, their brooms slung over their shoulders. Harry felt the tension coil tighter and tighter, the cheering crowd heightening the tension within him. Harry gave a nervous smile in reply to the encouraging slap on the back from Oliver and lined up with the awaiting Slytherin team. They faced each other and Harry found himself facing Draco. Draco's face was hard with an impassive mask that Harry couldn't see through. With the insistence of Madam Hooch, they shook each other's hands. Draco squeezed his hand lightly as if to communicate something to him, but Harry couldn't decipher what.
"On my whistle," Madam Hooch called. "Three…two…one—" And with a roar from the crowd, each player shot off into the sky. Harry, being the Seeker, shot as high and as quickly as he could, Draco following closely behind. Draco shot from underneath him, a tactic to distract him, but Harry didn't allow it, scanning the area around him for the golden glow of the Snitch.
"Don't go easy on me now, Potter!" Draco yelled, coming up close to him now. He was going to shadow Harry it seemed, instead of trying to look for the Snitch himself.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Malfoy!" Harry replied.
Harry flew forward and, with a gasp, swerved to the side, for the Bludger—that should have been flying at the chasers—was pelting straight for him! He had avoided it so narrowly, that he felt a whooshing of air in his ear. A small breath of horror came out of Draco's lips, but he had no time to think, for as he shot off higher into the air, the Bludger returned and nearly knocked him off his broom.
"What the hell?" he hissed as he dodged again.
Thankfully, Fred and George came to the rescue and the Bludger tried for a third go. George hit it as hard as he could towards Draco.
"You alright, Harry?" Fred yelled, hovering next to him.
"No, that Bludger is trying to kill me!" Harry responded, but now that Fred and George were here, he felt secure enough to try and look for the Snitch. The Bludger came back another two times and Fred and George hit the ball with as much force that they could—but it still came back every time! Draco trailed behind and Harry could see the worry beginning to line his face. He wasn't looking for the Snitch at all, causing him to be yelled at by his captain.
"Oh, and there goes another goal for Slytherin; Sixty points to zero," Lee Jordan commented, obvious disappointment in his voice.
"It's been tampered with, Fred, call for a break!" George yelled to his twin whilst he narrowly stopped the Bludger from breaking Harry's nose. Fred nodded and got Oliver's attention, signalling for a break. Oliver understood and flew to Hooch.
Harry had to do a weird twist with his broom to avoid the Bludger and really began to lose his temper. What the hell was wrong with this Bludger and why was it targeting him so ferociously?!
Finally, Hooch's whistle blew and the Bludger was called back. Harry sighed in relief and swooped down to the ground where his team had assembled.
"What the bloody Merlin is going on?" Oliver began, not impressed with his team's play.
"That Bludger has been tampered with, it won't lay off Harry," Fred started, Oliver frowned at him.
Rain began to slowly fall from the sky, progressing Harry's worsening mood.
Oliver frowned. "But the Bludger has been with Hooch since our last practice and it was fine then."
The twins and Oliver began arguing while their time was running out. Harry anxiously watched as Madam Hooch began walking towards them, then glanced at the Slytherin team who were sending them sneers, though Draco looked anxious himself.
"Alright, listen, I can't catch the Snitch with you two so close to me. I'll deal with the Bludger myself and try to end this quickly," Harry cut in. He took off his glasses and wiped them with his sleeve, then wordlessly cast the water-repellent charm to keep the water off.
"Don't be thick, Harry, it'll take your head off!" Fred exclaimed, looking to Oliver for backup.
But Oliver hesitated.
"You seriously can't be considering this Oliver? That Bludger is trying to take him out!" George nearly yelled.
Harry looked at Hooch who was getting closer now. "George, Fred, I'll be fine, I can out-manoeuvre it, trust me." Harry put on a confident smile, even though he didn't feel so confident on the inside.
The twins didn't look convinced.
"Look if he wants to deal with it, then let him, you two go back to your positions and Harry can deal with the Bludger. He just needs to catch that Snitch and the came will be over," Oliver commanded. Hooch was upon them now, giving Oliver an impatient look.
"I don't like this." George shook his head, his protective brother instincts kicking in, with Fred echoing his feelings.
"I'll be fine," Harry reassured them, patting George on the shoulder.
They mounted back onto their brooms and took off with the ring of Hooch's whistle. Harry shot straight into the air, instantly looking for the Bludger that he knew would soon come for him. Draco didn't head towards him. He seemed to have had a firm talk with his captain and was looking for the Snitch more fervently now.
The rain was pounding down, soaking Harry through to the bone. Thankfully his charm held up and he could see clearly enough through the blanket of rain. Avoiding the Bludger was harder than he originally thought it was going to be though, he had to perform many dizzying movements. Spinning to the side, sharp turns here and there. The Slytherin side of the stands began laughing, most likely at his ridiculous movements. However, Harry had no choice, each time he thought he had got the Bludger off his back, it would return again, coming at him faster and harder than before. Fred and George tried to help when they could, but mostly they just got in the way and Harry had to yell at them to back off.
Harry kept his eyes open and searched for the Snitch during the small moments when the Bludger wasn't hunting him.
"Are you in the ballet, Potter?" A passing Slytherin yelled and Harry sneered at him. But he shook his head and reminded himself that he couldn't lose his concentration. He found Draco hovering around, his hand over his face as he looked for the Snitch. Harry jerked away from the Bludger that had found its way back to him. It whistled past his ear and then a flash of gold caught his eye. He jerked to a stop and did a double-take. Right there, just by Draco's head, was the Snitch. Harry shot straight for Draco without a second thought. Draco turned to him and then noticed the Snitch. His eyes widened and his hand snapped out, but the Snitch was faster, zipping away.
Harry and Draco both darted into the sky after the Snitch. Harry flattened himself against his broom, willing it to go faster—faster than it had gone before. Rain pelted against his skin, stinging his cheeks, but he did not care. The Bludger zoomed towards him and he held his breath, not caring about that ball anymore. He just needed that Snitch.
Harry and Draco were shoulder to shoulder, shoving against each other, trying to veer the other off course. Draco out-stretched his arm and grunted, his pale fingers straining for that golden Snitch. Then the Snitch dropped and Harry, anticipating it, dove down. Draco gasped and nearly ran into the stands, his instincts not yet as sharp as Harry's.
The Bludger returned as his adversary, and Harry knew that he now had two choices: avoid the bludger or grab the snitch. His lack of survival skills chose the latter.
"Harry!" Draco yelled out, but Harry didn't look back.
It was on him now.
WHAM!
The Bludger made a sickening crunch as it impacted against his elbow. Harry gasped as white-hot pain shot up through his left arm, but he continued to hold tight onto his broom, his right hand so close to the Snitch. The ground was getting close now, too close for Harry's liking but the Snitch was right there! Yelling out in exertion, Harry finally closed his fingertips around the Snitch and, with the last bit of his strength, he pulled up before making contact with the ground. His arm screamed in pain and Harry felt blackness begin to spread through his vision. He held the Snitch tightly and, with no strength left, fell off his broom. His final conscious moments were of him colliding into the muddy ground.
Harry groaned as he awoke, his head pounded and his arm felt like it was on fire. People crowded around him, mostly Gryffindor, each giving him looks of terror and worry. Hooch spread out her arms, pushing people out of the way to give him space. Harry tried to get up but his arm quickly protested.
"Argh," Harry gasped out, flopping back onto the ground.
"Not to worry, Harry," a voice said. A voice that Harry was not pleased to hear.
Harry opened his eyes and was met with bright sparkling teeth in a wide smile. "Oh no, not you." Harry groaned, trying to roll away from the madman.
A light flashed and Harry opened his eyes to find Colin Creevey, the first-year kid who had a camera on him at all times and lately had taken a liking to him. "Colin, not now," Harry groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Doesn't know what he's saying," chuckled Lockhart to the anxious crowd of pressing students. "Not to worry Harry, I'll fix your arm up, right and proper."
"No!" Harry gasped, inching back from Lockart, clutching his arm. "I think I'll keep it this way,"
"I think we should take him to Madam Pomfrey," someone said and Harry nodded quickly. Yes! He much preferred Pomfrey!
Then, just before Lockhart could cast his spell, a hand settled on his shoulder.
"I think it is wise to take him to Pomfrey," the voice drawled, and Harry looked up to his saviour, Professor Snape.
Lockhart frowned at Snape and then looked back to the crowd. It seemed that he didn't want to lose face, but with so many people around he would be daft to fight, so he shrugged and put his wand away.
"Well, who's going to take him?" Lockhart asked, wiping mud off his knees and putting back on his sparkling smile. Harry, now that he was in safe hands, felt the warmth of unconsciousness pull at him again and his head thudded back into the mud.
Harry awoke next to the smell of cleaning potions and a bright light. He looked around and found the setting familiar, sighing in relief to find that he was safely in the medical wing. He looked down to his arm, which was no longer at a weird angle, and he slowly flexed it open. It ached but was no longer in anguishing pain. He was very glad that Snape had stopped Lockhart, Merlin knew what he would have done to his arm!
"He needs to rest you two, come back later when he's awake," Madam Pomfrey tutted.
He heard Hermione whine and Harry sat up, the pounding in his head throbbing harder, but he ignored it and cleared his throat, opening the curtain to see a very worried Hermione and a not so impressed Ron edging towards the door.
"I'm awake, Madam Pomfrey," Harry croaked out.
Madam Pomfrey turned and hurried to his side. "You should be resting, Mr Potter, your arm is mended but you got yourself a concussion. I'm going to have to monitor you overnight."
"Yeah, my head hurts," Harry moaned, but he continued to sit up and sent a wonky smile to Ron and Hermione.
"Did we win?" he asked Ron.
A grin split across Ron's face. "Heck yeah, we did. That was one hell of a catch Harry! Should have seen the faces of all those Slytherins, they looked ready to commit murder."
"Glad I didn't catch it for nothing," Harry chuckled, but instantly regretted it as his head flared in pain.
"Harry that was very stupid of you! I heard Madam Pomfrey tell McGonagall that you could have snapped your neck!" Hermione exclaimed, her face running red.
Harry did not appreciate the loud tone of Hermione's voice, but understood the concern she felt for him—he just wished she would show it at a lower volume.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, we just had to win, you know?" He knew his excuses wouldn't work on Hermione, but Ron placed a hand on her shoulder and she visibly calmed.
"Also, Malfoy said to tell you that he hopes you're okay and that you're an idiot," Hermione murmured, to not be overheard.
Harry let out a breathy laugh and slowly fell back onto his pillow, feeling exhausted.
"I think I'm going to try and get some more rest." Harry then yawned, which he also came to regret.
This time Hermione and Ron let Pomfrey shepherd them out of the medical wing and Harry let sleep take him under, the pain in his head fading away as it did.
When Harry awoke again he felt much better and well-rested. He sat up easily and looked around the room. No one seemed to be around at the moment and he wondered what time it was. He found his wand—which was laying on the table beside his bed—and cast a Tempus charm, finding it to be close to midnight.
"Not the best time to wake up," he sighed, his stomach grumbling, and he wondered whether or not there was any food around.
Harry had just gotten out of bed to find some water when a pop! nearly scared him out of his skin.
Harry stumbled back to find Dobby the elf standing in front of him, wringing his hands together nervously, his eyes glossy with tears.
"Harry Potter is in danger sir, Harry Potter needs to leave Hogwarts!" Dobby wailed and Harry took a step back, flabbergasted.
"What do you mean, Dobby?" Harry exclaimed. He looked around nervously, hoping the noise wasn't awakening anyone.
"Dobby was told to stop you from coming to Hogwarts, Dobby failed the first time. But now Master is terribly upset and Dobby must help! Dobby must stop Harry Potter from staying at Hogwarts!"
"So it was you that closed the barrier?" Harry had been suspicious of this and to have it confirmed left one question answered, but he still had many more.
"Yes, Dobby was ordered to stop you at all costs; Harry Potter must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would work, but you are still here!"
"Your Bludger? You sent that Bludger after me?!" Harry stepped towards Dobby, who shrank back and stumbled in retreat. "You nearly killed me!"
Dobby shook his head feverishly. "Not kill sir! Never kill sir, Dobby was only trying to send you home. Better be grievously injured than stay here." Dobby blew his nose on his ragged pillowcase. Harry took a deep breath in to try and control his temper.
Count to ten Harry, count to ten. "I don't suppose your master wanted me to be nearly killed. What else is going on, Dobby?
"Oh if only you knew, Sir!" Tears began dripping onto his pillowcase. "If only you knew what you meant to the lowly, the enslaved, the dregs of the magical world. Dobby was there when He Who Must Not Be Named was at the height of his power! We house-elves were treated like vermin, sir! Then He was gone, Harry Potter had saved us and life has improved for my kind. But now terrible things are happening at Hogwarts, terrible things that I must save Harry Potter from, I can't let history repeat itself now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once again."
"You know what happened when the Chamber was open?" Harry sprung forward. The most that he had learnt about the Chamber was that it was real, as Dumbledore had said before and that there was a casualty, but that was all. Slytherins had been spreading the rumour that if the Chamber was open only Muggle-borns would be harmed, but that was all he managed to learn. Every other avenue led to a dead end.
Dobby's eyes bulged as if he had said too much.
"Dobby, please, my friends could be in danger! One is a Muggle-born, I have to know more about this Chamber, please tell me!"
"No Dobby can't, Dobby can't betray his master," he squealed, looking ready to explode.
"You won't be, Dobby, I just need to know who opened the Chamber the first time," Harry persisted. This could be his only chance.
"If Dobby tells, the young master will be in danger too! Dobby mustn't!" Harry grabbed Dobby's bony wrist, which was far too skinny, but he ignored it for the time being. He needed to know what Dobby knew.
"Young master?" Harry shook his head, he was getting distracted and things were beginning to connect in his head that he didn't have the time to confirm. "Dobby, tell me, what happened when the Chamber of Secrets opened for the first time, who opened it?"
"Dobby mustn't, Dobby can't!" he squealed again. Harry looked around, worried that they were being too loud. "Harry Potter must go home!" Dobby cried again.
"I can't go home, I have friends to protect!" Harry said fiercely as the tears now began to steadily fall out of Dobby's large round eyes.
"Harry Potter is so noble! So valiant, but you must save yourself, Harry Potter can't stay in Hogwarts!"
"Dobby, tell me what happened when the Chamber opened and who opened it, that is all I ask!" Harry breathed in and held it, his temper was at its boiling point and he didn't want to scare Dobby off.
Dobby squirmed trying to get out of Harry's grip and Harry released him. Dobby flopped back onto the floor and Harry rushed to help him up. He felt bad for Dobby, but he was so desperate for answers, Draco had done so much to stop this Chamber from opening, and now that it was, he had to help. He had to stop whatever was happening before it was too late and Draco blamed everything on himself.
Harry was just about to say something when Dobby froze, his bat ears quivering, Harry then heard it too. Someone was coming towards them.
"Dobby must go!" whispered the elf, and then he was gone with the quietest of pops. Harry quickly went back into his bed and shut his eyes. He calmed his breathing and remained absolutely still as the medical wing door opened and steps echoed around the room.
"Get Madam Pomfrey," a familiar voice whispered, and Harry risked opening his eyes to find Dumbledore in a long woollen dressing gown and a nightcap lose on his head, accompanied by Professor McGonagall who was in a dark nightgown and her hair up in a messy knot. They were placing what seemed to be a statue on one of the beds. McGonagall stood in the way and Harry couldn't see what was happening without exposing himself.
McGonagall, without a moment's hesitation, went off towards Pomfrey's office and Harry could now see who was on the bed. His stomach lurched.
It was Colin Creevey.
Colin was lying there, his eyes blown wide with surprise and his whole body taught as if he was frozen and his hands stuck up in front of him, holding a camera. A few moments later, Madam Pomfrey came shuffling out through her office and quickly went to Colin's bedside, her face lined with worry.
"What happened?" she whispered.
"Another attack," Dumbledore answered. "Minerva found him on the stairs."
"There was a bunch of grapes next to him," McGonagall said. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter."
Harry's chest tightened with guilt, lately, he hadn't been particularly kind to Colin, busy with Draco and the shack. The kid tended to just get on his nerves and now he was hurt trying to give something to him, even after how much Harry had tried to get him to back off.
"Petrified?" Pomfrey whispered.
"Yes,"—McGonagall nodded—"but I shudder to think if Albus hadn't been on his way downstairs to get hot chocolate…who knows what might have happened."
Harry shivered, for he did imagine what might have happened to Colin if Dumbledore had not been there, and felt the guilt wind tighter in his chest. Harry watched, attempting to keep his breath even, as Dumbledore leaned down over Colin and carefully took the camera out of his frozen hands.
"Do you think he might have taken a photo of his attacker?" McGonagall asked eagerly, leaning towards the camera.
Dumbledore did not answer. He pried upon the back of the camera and jolted when a jet of smoke shot out.
"Good gracious!" Pomfrey exclaimed, taking a step back. The acrid smell of the melted film nearly made Harry cough but he held it in. He watched as Dumbledore waved his hand over the camera and all that was left; was plastic melted together in the back of the camera.
"Seems if he did, there would be no evidence," Dumbledore now said, giving the camera a look that Harry couldn't see in the flickering candlelight.
"What does this mean?" McGonagall whispered, but it seemed that she already knew the answer to her question.
"It means," said Dumbledore, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."
Pomfrey gasped, her hand covering her mouth. McGonagall's face formed a grim frown.
"But Albus…surely…who?"
"The question is not who, Minerva, but how," Dumbledore replied, placing the camera on the table beside Colin's bed.
By the look on Minerva's face, she was as confused as Harry felt.
After they left, it took a while for Harry to fall asleep again, questions whirling through his mind and not allowing him a moment of peace. He kept looking at Colin, half expecting him to awaken and give Harry that wide innocent smile of his and start asking Harry for a photo or an autograph. However, Colin did neither and Harry was left with a guilty conscience and no answers to his questions. He wondered if perhaps it was Draco that had opened the Chamber of Secrets and, if it was, how could he reverse it?
Draco would probably hear about this tomorrow, things like this never stayed quiet for long and Harry could already see him freaking out, thinking that he'd potentially harmed someone. Harry wished that Draco had told him sooner about the Diary and his father's plans. Wished that Draco didn't have to be torn between his friendship with Harry and his loyalty to his family.
Harry eventually fell back to sleep and awoke in the morning with the sun shining onto his face. He jerked upright and found the bed in which Colin lay surrounded by high screen curtains. He looked around and found Madam Pomfrey folding some bandages.
"Good morning, Mr Potter," she said as she turned to him with an energetic smile, but Harry could see the bags under her eyes that gave away her sleepless night.
"Morning Madam Pomfrey, am I okay to go?" he asked, hoping she would say yes.
After Pomfrey performed a few tests on him, consisting of him following her finger with his eyes and telling her what day of the week it was and what he remembered last—which he lied about—she seemed happy to let him go.
Harry, with his approved release, quickly got changed into a new uniform set, which must have been dropped off by Hermione or Ron, and made his way to Gryffindor Tower to collect his bag. Classes didn't seem to have been cancelled and Harry walked to second period Transfiguration. He wondered if the rumours would have started to spread yet, or if anyone knew that Colin had been petrified. He needed to get Ron and Hermione up to speed but, most of all, he needed to talk to Draco.
Harry smiled politely as he entered the classroom and gathered all the stares of his classmates. He sat down in the empty seat next to Ron. He was brimming with the need to tell them what had happened last night but knew he would have to leave it until lunch.
Harry easily spotted Draco sitting with his friends on the other side of the room. Draco was not looking at him and Harry wondered how he might be able to get his attention. The classroom soon broke out in noise with their instructions to turn their piece of clay into something edible. Harry wasn't really attempting to do anything with his clay when a piece of paper hit him in the head. Harry looked around in offence and found the piece of paper on the ground. He opened it and found the familiar script of Draco's handwriting.
Meet tonight? was all it said and Harry looked up to see Draco still smiling with his friends, paying no attention to Harry. He knew he shouldn't reply with the same paper, so instead, he took out his fake galleon, put his wand to it under the desk, and changed the date and time to tonight.
Harry looked up to Draco and found that he had put his hand in his pocket. The galleon would have heated up to signal that the numbers had been changed and he knew that Draco understood that he had gotten his answer.
Finally, Transfiguration ended and Harry bundled up with Ron and Hermione, their heads bowed together as Harry murmured to them what had occurred last night and the petrification of Colin.
"That's terrible!" Hermione gasped.
"I feel so guilty. I have done nothing but been so rude to him and now he's gone and gotten petrified trying to give me some grapes!" Harry sighed out in frustration, why did it seem all the people close to him got themselves into danger of some sort?
"It wasn't your fault, mate, he shouldn't have been wandering around at night, not after the Mrs Norris incident," Ron said, attempting to try and comfort him—which wasn't really helping.
"Thanks, Ron," Harry sighed again.
They continued to talk about everything that had occurred, theorising here and there. Harry asked Hermione and Ron to cover for him tonight, telling anyone who asked that he was sleeping a headache off or something, as he had to meet with Draco.
They both agreed to and, after dinner, Harry went upstairs to his dorm and slipped on his invisibility cloak and walked out of the Gryffindor Tower unseen.
Harry walked all the way to the Shrieking Shack on his own. He knew Draco would find it a bit more difficult to slip away and he was also running a bit early anyway.
Harry sat down on one of the cushions that he had transfigured and lay back, he was starting to feel a headache forming and really wanted to go to bed as soon as possible.
The door opened and Harry shot up.
Draco entered with an awkward smile. "Hey," he said.
"Hey," Harry replied, a goofy smile forming on his face.
A/N First off, I found a plot hole with dobby that I had to fix over chapters 7 and 8 (of book 2), basically, when Harry gave Dobby that letter for Draco, I changed it to Pipsy because I'm a dumbhead that doesn't plan chapters and forgot that Harry isn't supposed to know about Draco being Dobbys master. Secondly, as I said before, I really don't plan these chapters. I just write them and hope they work and I'm finding so many plotholes, so I think when I finish this book I'm going to take a break and edit it all from the beginning. Major changes might be made and stuff, who knows. I want to be proud of this work and I see more and more people are reading this. Of course, ill finish book 2, not to fret!
Hope yall understand, see ya next week!