Draco trudged through the heavy October rain to the greenhouses. Herbology was one of the only classes that he didn't have with Harry and Hermione, and today that made everything even worse. He was far ahead of the rest in what they were studying, so he had time to think about the situation more clearly. Suddenly, he had a horrible, terrible thought. "Professor Sprout?"
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"
"I'm feeling ill. May I make a visit to the Hospital Wing?" He hated to lie to the kindly teacher, but he needed to go see Professor McGonagall.
"Of course you may, Mr. Malfoy. I do hope you feel better." Draco sprinted toward the castle as soon as he left the greenhouses. He slipped a few times, and by the time he reached the door, his robes were dripping with mud and water. He managed to avoid Filch, which he counted as something that was finally going in his favor. He whispered the password, which Minerva had made sure Harry and all of his friends knew, and ran up the stairs.
"What is the matter, Mr. Malfoy? Aren't you supposed to be in class now?" Minerva gazed at him over her spectacles.
"Professor, you've heard about the situation with Hermione, right?" She nodded. "What if it wasn't a Ministry official that went to her house? What if it was Death Eaters trying to lure her away from us so that they could kill her?"
"We hadn't considered that possibility. I will alert the proper authorities immediately, Draco. Thank you for coming to see me." Minerva waved her wand at him, and the mud disappeared. "Do you want some tea? I'm not going to make you go back out there today."
"A cup of tea would be much appreciated, Professor." Draco sat down in one of the chairs near the fireplace. "Have you heard anything from Hermione?"
Minerva gave him the tea and shook her head. "I haven't. She won't speak with anyone. Harry's quite troubled over the whole matter, as he should be. I'm tempted to send for Sirius."
"I'm going to try to get him to talk with Professor Snape. He's his godfather and his uncle, and Harry really looks up to him."
"That he does…I'm going to floo call Auror Moody now. You'll be alright alone in here, right?"
"I'll be fine. I'm in one of the safest parts of Wizarding Britain." Draco tried to smile, but failed miserably.
Harry did show up for Transfiguration, probably at the insistence of Ariana. "She still won't talk to me, Draco. Tomorrow's Saturday…what am I going to do for a whole day if she's not talking to me?"
"We'll go to the library, Harry, like we always do on Saturdays, and continue with our extra Defense and Transfiguration work. After that, you'll go to Quidditch Practice, like you always do, and I'll try to see whether Slytherin will be able to beat you next week. We have to try to keep our normal schedule and let her come to us."
Ariana began class. "Today we are going to learn some basic human transfiguration. As Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Black Malfoy mastered this several weeks ago, they will demonstrate for you." Draco and Harry hated demonstrating in class. However, they took the opportunity to be distracted from their thoughts and ran with it. Somehow, instead of simply demonstrating what Ariana asked, it escalated into an exhibition of Draco and Harry's extensive knowledge of Transfiguration. She let it go, even giving points for a particularly good hair color changing spell that Harry used on Draco. "Do not let it get violent, boys. Keep it to not lethal spells, please. I don't want to send your bodies home to your parents or have to explain why I let my grandsons kill each other."
"Isn't some of that stuff NEWT level, Professor? How can they know that?" Lavender Brown asked.
"Harry comes from a long line of relatives with Transfiguration Masteries, and he's very powerful in most areas himself. His mother was eligible for Mastery Levels in Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, and Defense, but she refused them when she learned that werewolves were not allowed the same honors. She and Remus Lupin, your former Defense Professor, were quite close. She holds the record for the highest scores in three of those, and she tied for highest with her brother in Potions. Draco, Harry, and Hermione Granger would be bored out of their minds if we forced them to do the same work as the rest of you." Ariana could tell that the class, which was paying very close attention to the duo, was beginning to change their minds about the two. "Muggleborns aren't allowed Masteries either, unless they prove to be exceptional. That does not mean, however, that those of you who are Muggleborn should not try your hardest. You could be the one who changes their minds." Maybe she could help these students realize that blood purity meant little when it came to levels of power and pure talent.
Draco and Harry walked slowly to the library for their free hour. Perhaps Hermione would be there. "I don't think she'd decide to go home, Harry. They'd make her give up her wand and everything. They might even Obliviate her."
Harry turned to Draco. "Are you up for a bit of flying, Draco? If she won't come to us, we're going to her. My Firebolt can hold two people if you don't want to run all the way down to the dungeons to get your broom."
"This is probably the craziest idea you've ever had, dear cousin, but I'm in." They turned and ran to Gryffindor tower. Harry let Draco in, and they went up to the fifth year boys' dorm to grab the Firebolt. "Why exactly do you have to get your broom? We can't just walk into the girls' dorm?"
"No, we can't. Their staircase turns into a slide if any male who isn't an authorized professor steps foot on it. Don't they have that in Slytherin?"
"No." Draco shook his head. Gryffindors. Luckily, no one was in the Common Room when Harry flew up the stairs. "This is ridiculous. Why am I friends with Gryffindors?" Draco muttered.
They found the fifth year dorm easily. Hermione was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, all of her belongings packed. "Why have you packed all of your stuff? You can't go home, Hermione. There are Death Eaters out there who'd kill you in a second."
"I'm not going to even ask how you two got up here. It's supposed to be impossible. My things are packed, Harry, because I'm going home. I can't give up my parents. I've been keeping up with Muggle schooling too, so I'll be ready to transfer somewhere." Her voice was on the verge of tears. "My parents are right, I can't continue endangering my life."
Draco put his hand on Harry's shoulder to offer some support to his cousin. He could not believe the words that just came from a girl he thought he knew. No one, except Harry, loved the Wizarding World more than Hermione. How could she just pack up and walk away from them? "If you leave, you're not protected anymore. You'll be by yourself, facing who knows how many Death Eaters. You will die if you go home. You'll kill Harry by doing that, too." Draco didn't care whether Harry heard what he was saying or not, it had to be said.
"He'll find someone else, Draco. There are plenty of other girls out there. You can be his best friend and live your lives without me. I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I do not wish for you to see me off." She turned her back to him.
"Are you afraid that if you look at us, at me, you'll change your mind, Hermione? Are you afraid that if you look at what you're leaving behind, that you'll realize the only place you truly belong is with us? With me?" Harry shouted, tears falling down his face. He'd never really told her how much she meant to him. "I love you with all of my heart, and if you want to leave, go ahead, but Draco's right—it will kill me." Harry turned and ran. Draco gave Hermione one last scathing look and ran after him. It was now up to Draco to save Harry, so that Harry could save the world. If Draco failed his task, they were all doomed.