Chapter 24
...
It was hard not to pull Snape or Harry aside and demand answers. She'd been waiting for word from either of them, or even Dumbledore, to know how their lesson had gone. But no one reached out. Silence from them and silence from Draco. It was enough to make her want to scream.
She tried to keep her mind off it, focusing on her list. She had four Slytherins to ask about joining the new DA. Blaise didn't think any of them would say yes, but she hoped he was wrong.
One of the school owls dropped a note in Alec's lap. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him read it and he slyly looked her way. Then he showed it to David and Romeo who looked intrigued. They huddled, talking quickly amongst themselves, then exited the Great Hall together. Malinda counted to twenty before following silently. If Blaise noticed her leaving, he gave nothing away as he asked Clare a question, grabbing their group's attention.
After several turns and one trip up a moving staircase, Malinda arrived at an unused classroom where the three young men awaited.
"Morning, Mal," Romeo waved as she entered. Alec gave an awkward smile while David gave her a nod.
"Good morning, fine gentlemen," she replied, plopping herself and her bag onto a desk.
"What's with the mysterious note?" David held up her message. "And the questionable meeting location."
Malinda turned to the door and with a flick of her wand, put up her usual sound barrier. It was becoming easier and easier, requiring barely a thought now. All this secrecy made the spell second nature.
"Ooookay," David noted. "This should be interesting."
"We don't have much time before first period, so I'll get straight to the point," she told them seriously. "The war is starting and soon, even Hogwarts won't be safe. A group of us are starting a… training club. It's for witches and wizards who want to be able to defend themselves and their families when Voldy-dolt comes knocking. He'll go after Muggleborns first, but he'll round up magical folk who married Muggles too. Their half-blood children will be next."
"Did she just call You-Know-Who Voldy-dolt?" Romeo whispered.
She ignored him, continuing, "I want to invite you three to join us. However, this group requires absolute secrecy and because some of our fellow housemates belong to ridiculous idiotic families, the other members are rightfully concerned about Slytherins joining."
"They think we'll tell You-Know-Who about them?" Alec frowned. "Everyone knows we're outcasts in Slytherin-"
"Right, but you're still Slytherin at the end of the day."
"And they call us prejudiced."
"Agreed. So much hypocrisy in this world," Malinda sighed dramatically.
"What about you then?" Romeo challenged. "You're just as Slytherin us as and when you haven't pissed off the royal purebloods, you're even one of them. Why are you allowed into this club and we aren't?"
"Good question," Malinda stood up and paced, a bit nervously. "That's because I'm a member of the Order."
Silence ensued.
David crossed his arms, "Isn't that the group Dumbledore started to fight against-"
"Yup, that's the one."
"But you're… American?" Romeo said dumbstruck. "If there's a war here, wouldn't your rich parents just portkey you back out of harm's way?"
"No, I wouldn't let them. I'm not going anywhere," she shook her head. "I joined the Order and I'm helping Harry teach students how to fight."
"Dumbledore knows," Alec said aloud. "Which means you're what? A spy in Slytherin?"
Silence ensued again, this time more tense.
"Wicked," Romeo said. His two friends glared at him and he shrugged. "What? It's not like she's spying on us. We're not purebloods and we've already talked about how to hide our parents if You-Know-Who gains control of the Ministry again. You know what, Mal? I'm in."
"Excellent," she grinned.
"There has to be a catch," David gave her a wary look. "You just told us that you're a member of the Order, the direct enemy of our housemates and their families, and about a secret group of students. What aren't you telling us?"
"Well, like I said, we need absolute secrecy," Malinda stopped pacing and showed them the wand in her hand. David tensed and even Alec looked slightly upset. "I've told you the truth and I won't risk the safety of myself or others. So, you have a choice my friends. You can either join us or I'll need to wipe this chat from your memories."
"You can fucking try," David grabbed his own wand and held it out. Malinda stood steady.
Romeo elbowed David. "Mate, can you blame her? At least she's honest about it. You've seen her magic, she could've knocked us out and wiped our memories already."
"I'm sorry," she offered. "It's not like I want to but I have to protect people."
Alec spoke up suddenly. "If we join, what do you want from us?"
"What do you mean?"
"If we join, are we committing ourselves to the Order? Do we have to fight? Will the Order protect our parents?"
Malinda leaned against the desk again, ignoring David's wand still pointed at her. "There's no commitment other than total secrecy. You don't have to fight for anyone. All we ask is you show up, respect others, and keep our secret. The whole point is to prepare yourself for war- If you want to go into hiding, that's your choice. If you want to fight with the Order, that's your choice. If you want to fight for Voldy-dolt, that's your choice but know that we will not hold back."
Romeo moved to stand beside her. "I'm in."
David's mouth fell open. "Just like that?"
"She's the most powerful witch I've ever seen," Romeo stuck his thumb at Malinda. "And if bloody Harry Potter, the only wizard to ever survive the Killing Curse, wants to teach me how to survive the war, I'm in. Of course I am. For my parents."
"How are you enforcing the secrecy?" Alec asked, staring hard at Malinda. He seemed torn.
"You sign a magical contract. If you communicate in any way about the group or knowledge of the Order to anyone outside the group, you'll… Well, you won't be awake anymore."
"You're going to fucking kill us if we talk?" David said, outraged.
"Eternal sleep," Malinda corrected.
"That's a little over the top," Romeo commented. "Still in though."
She nodded. "Agreed but it's war and people's lives. If you don't plan on ratting, it shouldn't really matter though, right?"
After a moment, Alec nodded and moved to stand on her other side. "Count me in too."
"You're alright with eternal sleep!?" David shouted at his friends.
"Like she said, I have zero plans of divulging about a school group to anyone," Alec countered. "Don't you want to know spells they won't teach you in class? They're going to come after us, David. They'll come after your mum just because she's a Muggle. She'll need your help if they do."
At the mention of his non-magical mother, David paled and his wand fell slightly. His eyes darted between the three of them. Finally, he looked at Malinda and said, "You swear on your life, we don't have to fight? That we can leave whenever we want?"
"I swear."
He hesitated then dropped his wand. "Then I'll join. For my mum."
…
…
Later that night, just before dinner, Malinda stood behind a statue not far from the Slytherin Common Room entrance with a very surprised wizard.
"Merlin's Beard, they actually said yes?"
"Yup, all three," Malinda said proudly.
"And you told them I'd be there?"
"Not yet," she admitted. "Didn't want to reveal too many secrets at once. Besides, what difference would it make? You've all agreed to secrecy."
Blaise sighed. "Even they won't be happy to see me there."
"I'll be happy," Malinda patted his shoulder. "And once the others get to know you, they will be too. War doesn't give a shit about house colors or school rivalries. At the end of the day, we're all just students trying to-"
"Survive," he finished morosely. His eyes narrowed, "What about Daphne?"
"I was going to ask for your help on that. Can you go ask her if she wants to go to the library with you?"
"And what? You'll be waiting on here, like a predator waiting for prey?"
"Fuck man, relax. I just want to get her away from the others. If she declines-"
Blaise snorted. "Which she will."
Malinda tensed. "I think she'll say yes. You don't give her enough credit."
"No," he lowered his voice. "I've known her my whole life and no one, not even your dear friend Daphne will turn against her family. As soon as she knows Harry Potter and Dumbledore are involved, she'll call you a traitor and tell her father. You've known her for less than a year."
"She still deserves the choice. She's so close to being actually decent about blood sometimes and…" Malinda stopped, knowing it was futile to argue with Blaise. She could only hope that their friend would prove him wrong. "Anyways, in case I need to obliviate her, you can just keep walking with her to the library afterwards. She won't know the difference."
"Fine," Blaise agreed. "Wait here."
He walked away, going to fetch a Death Eater's daughter and heir.
…
…
The tea was still too hot to drink. Malinda could have used magic to cool it down, but she didn't feel like cheating. Sometimes waiting was good, especially when she needed time to think. Especially when she needed to remember what being a Muggle felt like, away from magical war and the stress that came with it. She sniffed and immediately, a house elf was there with yet another tissue.
"Thanks," Malinda murmured, dabbing at her wet eyes. The house elf beamed for a moment, then her eyes went wide and she scurried away.
Turning, Malinda found out why. Draco came charging into the kitchens, the fruit portrait swinging closed behind him. He looked angry and Malinda felt her stomach tighten. Just great. A heated argument with Draco was the last thing she wanted to do right now.
But he didn't yell at her or make demands. Instead he sat down beside her and took her hand into his and asked, "What happened?"
She gaped. His concern was not what she expected.
"How-"
He rolled his eyes. "Dobby sent a message you were here crying your poor little eyes out."
"Oh," she mumbled, feeling slightly betrayed yet touched.
"So what happened?"
Malinda considered lying and asking him to leave. They hadn't spoke since the blow up at the lake, but the urge to confide was too strong. "I asked Daphne to join the DA."
He froze. "You did what?"
"I thought she'd say yes. She seems frustrated with her father and even came around about Alec being a half blood and-"
"You fool. She would never say yes, ever. Daphne is the epitome of a pureblood, her father is already preparing her for the Death Eater ceremony after graduation."
"Does she know that?" Malinda asked, horrified.
"Of course!" Draco laughed, incredulously. "You've mistaken your friendship with them as something else. Daphne and Clare may not be as outright as Pansy, but they're just as bad."
Normally, Malinda would've argued and defended the two girls, but she couldn't. Not after what had happened. "I just thought-" her voice cracked as she felt a new wave of crying coming. "I really thought they could change, especially Daphne."
Draco squeezed her hand and looked away, "Not everyone can change."
"You did," she sniffed. "You're the one everyone thought was too far gone and yet you've changed your path."
He shrugged. "So, how bad was it?"
Fine, he didn't want to talk about himself. She wiped her eyes again. "It was a disaster. I barely had enough time to explain the DA before she went berserk. She called me a blood traitor, said I was just as bad as Pansy said, that she would have to tell the others, and that she hated me."
"I see."
"She meant it too, Draco. I've never seen that side of Daphne before."
"You haven't known her very long," he pointed out.
She winced. He and Blaise had been right. Despite living with the girl for months now and becoming supposed fast friends, Daphne was someone else entirely at her core. She had made it clear she would never distance herself from her family and their beliefs.
"I'm an idiot," she said bitterly.
"Only sometimes."
That made her smile. "Thanks Draco, you know how to cheer a witch up."
They sat in silence for a moment, holding hands. The house elves wisely went about their business, but she caught a few sneaking smiles at them. "How are you?" She posed the question cautiously.
He withdrew his hand and took a deep breath. "I'm angry. I'm always angry."
"You have a lot going on. The stress takes its toll."
"I'm-" he hesitated. "I'm sorry."
"Me too," she instantly replied. "I didn't mean to press you at the lake."
Draco blinked. "That's it?"
Malinda picked up her tea and blew. "What do you mean?"
"That's all you have to say?"
"Nothing really more to say. You were a prick. I also lost my temper. Let's move on or do you want to have another fight?"
He stared at her for a long moment before taking the tea out of her hands and placing it back on the table. Draco kissed her quickly, a simple peck, and withdrew slightly. His blue eyes looked directly at her and he murmured, "I don't deserve you."
"You don't give yourself enough credit," Malinda replied softly and then took a deep breath. "I need to tell you something."
Draco's eyes darkened with concern. "I don't like the sound of that."
"At the lake," she pulled back but grabbed his hands. "When I said that Merlin is alive-"
"Not this again."
"Draco," she snapped and blinked with purpose. A dome of magical silence fell over them, muffling the world around them. "I need you to listen to me. I was not joking. Merlin is alive. He's the reason I'm at Hogwarts. I had a life before all this, but then he came and when I told him I wanted to change your future-"
"Merlin, the most famous wizard of all time, came to you?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," she flushed, feeling a little silly for saying it aloud. "I know it sounds insane, but I want you to know the truth. He sent me here to Hogwarts, to help you. You probably think I'm bonkers but-"
"I believe you."
She gave him a dubious look. "Just like that?"
The blond looked resigned. "So far, it doesn't seem like the normal laws of magic apply to you. Dumbledore trusts you. More importantly, Severus trusts you. I trust you. If you tell me Merlin is alive and sent you here, I believe you."
"B-But, don't you wonder-"
Draco smirked and looked down at their joined hands. His thumb rubbed against her palm. "All I know is how I feel about you."
She swallowed, feeling her throat tighten with emotion. "Thank you," she managed, her eyes growing moist. "Thank you for trusting me. I trust you too."
"Good."
Again, silence fell over them. Then Malinda squared her shoulders. "Draco, we need your help with something."
"Anything."
"Do you know who has access to Bellatrix's vault at Gringotts?"
Draco blinked in surprise. He cast a wary glance around them, noting how the barrier shimmered steadily. Then he said slowly, "There are only three people who have access to the vault that I know of."
"Who?" She held her breath.
"Bellatrix, her husband, and-" He hesitated. "And me. Since Bellatrix does not have any children of her own, she and Rodolphus have named me heir. As such, I am granted access to their vault. Why?"
"We need to have another meeting with Dumbledore," Malinda felt her heart begin to beat faster. Now she knew that even Draco did not know about Bellatrix and Voldemort's child. That was interesting. "Immediately."
"Why?" He pressed.
She grimaced. "Because we need to break into her vault."
"That's impossible-"
"No," Malinda shook her head. "I've seen it done. I know how to do it."
"But…" Draco squeezed her hand. "Why? Why risk it?"
"Because it directly helps Harry kill Tommy Boy."
…
…
Draco sat with predatory stillness in his seat. Meanwhile, Malinda was unable to keep to her chair and paced the headmaster's office. Dumbledore watched her calmly, accustomed to her anxiety. No one spoke as the clock's hand moved second-by-second. Not even Fawkes made a sound.
Finally, the sounds of the stone staircase came. Moments later, a knock came and Dumbledore called, "Come in Harry."
If Draco was bothered by the announcement of his fellow wizard, he wisely did not show it. Instead, he merely shifted his eyes dubiously to Malinda who winked. He did not seem amused.
Harry, however, did not hide his hostility. As his eyes swept over the office, he tensed at the sight of Draco. "What's he doing here?"
"Lovely to see you, Potter," Draco replied dryly.
"Same team," Malinda glared at Harry. "Everyone behave."
"Indeed," Dumbledore smiled. "Please, Harry, take a seat."
Harry went out of his way to walk around Malinda to sit farthest away from Draco. The headmaster leaned forward, looking at them all. "It is time to proceed with our next step against Tom Riddle. To defeat him, we must remove something that is dear to him." He looked pointedly at Malinda.
"He-" She licked her lips nervously. "He has a weapon hidden as a common item in Bellatrix's vault at Gringotts. In my visions, Harry, Ron and Hermoine retrieve it but he knows what they stole. In his rage, he massacres goblins and wizards alike at Malfoy Manor."
Draco paled.
"Instead, I'd like for us to access the vault without force and replace the item with a fake, without anyone being the wiser."
"That is why Ms. Selwyn has brought you two here," Dumbledore said, looking between both male students. "Draco, you will provide access to the vault and Harry, you will identify the item."
"How-" Both Harry and Draco began, then stopped, clearly insulted they'd spoken the same word at the same time.
"To answer both of you," Malinda chuckled. "One, Draco, there is more than one way into Gringotts. We will not use the lobby. Leave that up to me. Two, Harry, you have a connection with Tommy Boy that is deeper than you'd like to admit. You will literally be able to feel which item it is. It sounds weird but that's exactly how it works and honestly, after your visions and dreams can you really doubt that?"
Both boys gaped at her.
Then, Draco crossed his arms, "Fine. When do we make the switch?"
Harry reared back. "Fine? Just fine? You're willing to break into your beloved aunt's vault just like that? You're going to help me kill Voldemort? Draco Malfoy, a Death Eater himself."
"Alleged Death Eater," Malinda corrected.
Draco considered his rival and then without warning, shoved his cloak sleeve up, revealing the twisting tattoo. Instantly, Harry was up with his wand out and Malinda stood between the two boys.
Just as she began her defensive speech, Dumbledore spoke, "Harry, please, take a seat. We have already been aware of Draco's … mark."
"You know?!"
"Of course we know," Malinda pointed to her head. "I'm a fucking seer, remember?"
Draco raised a mocking eyebrow. "Odd that the Chosen One doesn't want a Death Eater's help. I can help, Potter, or perhaps you don't want this war to end?"
"Of course I do!" Harry's face turning red. "I just don't bloody trust you! Please, sir, we can't trust him-"
"Yes, we can," Malinda snapped. "How many times do I have to remind you, Harry? I am here to save us all from a year of pain and death. I am here to help you end this war quickly. If you try to argue at every step of the way, then you risk everything. Do you want people to die because you were too stubborn and prideful to just listen?"
Harry's rage was evident as the air grew thick with tension and magic. It was only when Dumbledore cleared his throat, did Harry remember where they were and let the magic subside. He scowled but sat back down.
Malinda remained standing. She huffed and said, "We should move this weekend. Tom will still be distracted with Bellatrix being injured."
"She hasn't healed?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"No," Draco confirmed. "Dragonfire is powerful magic. They have received treatment to help with pain, but the healing process is slow. Bellatrix and Fenrir are still bedridden and will remain scarred for life."
"Sorry not sorry," Malinda shrugged and sat back down.
Harry peeked around her to watch Draco's reaction. To his credit, the Slytherin met his examination with calm coldness. "What is it, Potter?"
"She," Harry pointed to the witch between them. "Nearly killed your aunt. Doesn't that bother you?"
"My aunt made her choice. The Dark Lord is a threat to my Mother and her sister has done nothing to stop that. She got what she deserved."
Harry frowned, surprised by the answer. "But you-"
"You don't know shit about me, Potter."
The two glowered at each other.
"Returning to the matter at hand," Dumbledore spoke up as if they were chatting about the weather. "We will meet here after breakfast on Saturday. I will transport us to London where Ms. Selwyn will show you both the way."
"What about you, professor?" Harry questioned, not sounding pleased by this.
"I will be in the lobby requesting a visit to my own vault. With the political tensions in the Ministry, a visit by me in London is met with an irritating amount of attention. The goblins will be quite busy with me upstairs."
"And the Dark Lord will be at Malfoy Manor," Draco added. "He holds meetings on Saturday mornings."
"You would know," Harry bit out.
"Shut the FUCK up already," Malinda groaned. "Do you or do you not want to kill Voldemort?"
Harry turned in his seat. "How dare you-"
"You are such a child, Harry Potter!" she scoffed. "Here we are, the headmaster of Hogwarts, a seer, and a voluntary informant from the enemy all making plans to steal a weapon from the enemy and you want to make petty insults? Either get with the plan or be left behind."
Harry stiffened and turned to their headmaster. "Sir-"
Dumbledore raised a hand. "While I do not appreciate her tone or language, Ms. Selwyn is correct. Harry, we are beyond school rivalries now. Are you with us?"
The messy-haired young wizard was taken aback at Dumbledore's words. He flushed, this time in shame. Looking down, he nodded. "Yes. Whatever it takes."
"Good. Get some rest. You'll need it," Dumbledore told them in dismissal.
