Chapter Seven
The Final Chapter Of Another Story
Hope looked up at the notice, clinging onto the bulletin board of the Gryffindor common room. It read as the Following:
To all those who wish to join:
I, Professor Lockheart, have been chosen to teach all you gifted young ones, the way of Wizard Dueling!
It will be a fun, magical time in which you will all sorts of nifty spells- so come on down and give it a whirl!
Sincerely:
Gilderoy Lockheart
It sounds like fun, Hope thought. Perhaps Harry will go and try it out… maybe Ginny?... OH WHERE COULD THAT BLOODY GIRL BE?!?! Hope had not seen nor herd from the little red-head since the Quidditch match. Last nights, attempt of find Ginny had been most futile. The 7th Weasley was nowhere to be found. Hope worried constantly about her friend; normally she would have run straight towards Hermione but often times the bushy-heard girl was to busy with other stuff.
"Give it a whirl," Hope muttered to her self as she walked to the Great Hall to start her dueling. "What a stupid phrase…"
Draco starred at the poster hanging in on a notice board. Dueling? That man couldn't stop a Cornish Pixie if he tried! Malfoy shrugged his shoulders and headed down to dining hall, he wanted to what that oaf of a man could teach…
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked down to the Great Hall, they too had herd about the Dueling club and Hermione thought that a little bit of dueling would come in hand on their journeys. That and she wanted a good look at Professor Lockheart and his so called 'great knowledge of the dark arts.'
Ron on the other hand had been a little reluctant, it was only when Hermione pulled out her wand and threatened him did he agree to go.
"I tell you," He whispered to Harry was walked, "she doesn't need them if you ask me, probably would have turned me into a rat or something if I had said no."
"I would not have turned you into a rat, Ronald." She said firmly, not even glancing back at them. "I would have turned you into a pill of-"
"Oh thanks Hermione- that's just what I needed to hear!"
As the trio approached the Great Hall entrance, Hope rounded the corner and bumped into them. Startled, she dropped her wand, schoolbag, and etc. on the ground.
"I'm sorry, that was all my faul- Hermione! Harry- Ron! It's you guys." Hope smiled at them as she began to pick up her dropped belongings.
"Hope, we haven't see you in awhile- here lemme help you with that." Hermione told her friend as she herself started to pick up the scattered objects.
Ron simply refused to look at the adopted Malfoy, Harry…. Harry was finding it difficult to keep eye contact with Hope. He had never really been able to stare her straight in the face after Ron told him THAT story.
"Er, yeah… sorry about that…. Work and all…" he muttered as he handed back her wand.
Harry's hand lingered on Hope's- just for a second before pulling away. She blushed and looked away, not wanting the Boy-Who-Lived to see her beet red face.
"Um, yeah… thanks…. Um… a-are you guys going to the dueling club thingy?" Hope asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah," Ron said, looking at a moving portrait of woman's tea party. A raven-haired girl was serving tea and had just spilled it all over another's lap. He found it much easy to talk to Hope if he wasn't looking at her face, "Hermione here forced- I mean- 'talked' us into going…"
Then suddenly, the Great Hall doors burst open, Gildory Lockheart stood in the archway smiling down at the quartet.
"Welcome, welcome! Come in your just in time. Step lively now, that's it- now every one," he said addressing a large majority of students, probably about half the school was looking up at him now, "welcome to your first dueling lessons. Professor Dumbledore has given me the permission to teach how to duel, defend, and become great fighting wizards." Hope was starting to drift off at this point, she never could listen to Professor Lockheart for long.
Gildory continued on with his speech for some time, once finished he asked Snape to practice with thus having himself blown all the way across the room.
"A-all right, yes good job Professor Snape- now if I wanted to I could have-"
"Why don't we let them duel for themselves, Gildory… it'll be much more… educational." Snape comment as Lockheart managed to stand up.
Lockheart started at black dressed teacher before putting his Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile five time winner smile back on.
"Yes of coarse! Let's see Mr. Potter and… and…" he looked around for another student, "you! Mr. Malfoy."
'It'll be a good experience,' Hermione said. 'Loads of fun!' LOADS OF FUN MY ASS! Harry thought sullenly to himself.
He glanced over and noticed that Hope was giving him the thumbs up, 'good luck' she mouthed to him. Thanks, Harry thought. I'm going to need it…
(Author: Ok here's the new part- HOPE you like it- sorta a cliffy)
Draco starred up at the deadly snake; Harry was next to him. Hope and the blood traitor lay nearly dead at their feet. So… this is what it feels like before you die. Images of his life flashed before his eyes…
"Happy birthday son," his fourth birthday, Hope had not been adopted yet. He had gotten a white teddy-bear that respondedto your tears. It head been his favorite toy until one day it vanished…
"This is your new sister Draco, Hope Malfoy. Don't be shy now…" She had been so afraid that day… so innocent and cute…
"I HATE YOU DRACO!" This wasn't a pleasant memory.
"I won't leave you, Hope!" So this the monster that came out of the portrait that night…
"Yes of coarse! Let's see Mr. Potter and… and…" His fight against Potter, blood hell, turned out to be Parselmouth. Hope was one too…
"It took Miss. Weasley and Miss. Malfoy." It had terrified Draco to hear those words. He had decided to follower Potter. Lockheart was a fake, the Boy-Who-Lived opened the Chamber of Secrets to save both girls… and Draco tripped and fell down the hole; landing on top off Potter…
"Hey… P-Potter…" Malfoy asked the Gryffindor shakily.
"What Malfoy?!?" Neither took their eyes of the Basilisk as it slowly made it's way towards them.
"You wouldn't happen to have a plan or anything would you?"
"Um- do you really want to know the answer to that one?"
Draco looked at Riddle, the boy's smile was freaking him out more then the snake.
"I'd rather not…."
"(Kill them, if you can see them then sniff them out!)" Riddle hissed to the monster. It stood still them with lighting speed lunged at them, Potter dodged the snake; knowing what Tom had said to his pet. Draco on the other hand ended on top of the head of the beast.
"GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!" he yelled down to Harry who was at the time still barley dodging the Basilisk, the Phoenix watched from the sidelines.
Harry looked up at Draco. Some guys have all the luck, he thought as he landed in a pool of water, the monster missing his face by mere inches. I have to dodge to save my life and he gets to sit all comfy-cozy on top of the monster. Lucky Bastard. Another near miss, things weren't looking up for ether of them.
Harry looked down at the tattered old hat in his hands; a bird and hat was sent to help him. Dumbledore was sooo helpful- NOT!
"Draco!"
Malfoy looked down at Harry.
"WHAT?!?!"
"CATCH!" and threw the sorting hat up at his worst enemy. It would never make it; it was only cloth and would float right back down. Fawks swooped down from a neighboring statue and snatched the Sorting Hat outta the air and into Draco's hands. Draco starred at the filthy thing.
"WHAT IN HELLS NAME AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS?" The snake and finally caught on that their was an unwanted passenger on it's head. It tried to crash it's skull into the ceiling, but Tom ordered it not to.
"(Foolish young one, don't. You'll knock yourself out like that….)"
The beast nodded and turned its attention back to Harry, who had now taken flight in a dark tunnel.
How DARE Potter run away at a time like this! Draco yelled thought, cursing Harry underneath his breath, holding tightly onto the snake as it began its pursuit of the Boy-Who-Lived.Just what am I supposed to do with a HAT! A HAT! A-a stupid old- something shimmered inside the tattered old Sorting Hat.
"Huh? What on earth…" Draco reached in and pulled out a small dagger. Malfoy starred at it in wonder, the jade handle with a green snake wrapping itself around the handle. "A dagger? Coulda given me a sword or something but this is fine... Harry!"
Harry starred up at Draco, he was currently being squeezed to death by the Basilisk's tail. Riddle was enjoying his suffering.
"W-what is it?" Words made themselves hard to form, darkness starting to block his vision.
"CATCH!"
Malfoy threw the hat back to Harry, something big and silver flew from the old wizard cap and sliced the beast's tail in two. Gryffindor's sword held tight in Harry's hand he charged forward, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"THIS IS FOR GINNY AND HOPE!" and thrust the sword into the snake. The basilisk shrieked, and Draco to yelled.
"AND THIS IS FOR MY SISTER!"
There was a horrible sound, and the monster fell dead; sword of Gryffindor piercing it's heart and the Knife of Slytherin through it's skull. Both boy's turned on Tom, knowing slowly retreating.
"(W-wait… please w-we can talk…)"
"You-" Draco muttered
"Sick-" Harry said.
"SON OF A BITCH!"
(The author does not wish to go into detail of what happens next... it is far to violent for our younger readers...)
Hope slowly opened one of her eye's, bright light shown into them forcing her to close them tight and shut. There was a voice. It was... she had herd it before. Who's calling my name? Is that my name?... Hope... yeah it is... Argh! I'd wish they'd shut up- I'm trying to sleep here...
"HopeHope wake up!" there was that voice again...
SHUT UP!
"Hope WAKE UP NOW!!!"
Hope glared at her borther, who was startled by her sudden awakening.
"SHUT UP! I'm trying... to... Draco?"the adopted Malfoy starred at her older brother, memories flooding back into her mind. Ginny! There was that book and... and... She couldn't remember the rest. Hope blinked in surprise as Draco sqeezed her tight in his arms, small drops of slaty water runnig down his cheeks, "Draco?"
"Thank god... your alive!"
Draco was crushing her body in his firm hold but she didn't care, her bother was there for her... and that was all that mattered to Hope.
---------------
Harry smiled, it was a happysight to see the brother and sister re-unighted- but it was so sad for him too. Does she care for her Draco more than a brother?... The Boy-Who-Lived looked down at the sleeping Ginny Weasley, thoughts clouded with dread and wonder. He glanced back over at the Malfoy's, they were still hugging. Who is she?
To Be Continued….