"What?" they all asked unbelievingly

"I know where he is but," she started saying ambivalently

"What?" Draco urged her softly, got closer and kneeled beside her chair

"I don't know" she said staring down. Staring at nothing specific. Just staring into the air. "It's not him"

"What do you mean?" Draco asked again, one hand holding the back of the chair and the other one holding Hermione's knee

"It's Potter, but he's different" she said, and turned her eyes to meet Draco's

"Where is he?" asked Neville impatiently.

Draco glared at him. Hermione turned her eyes to the cupboards door.

"Oh my God Hermione" George stated disapprovingly

"Let me explain" Hermione asked them apologetically

"I don't believe you let him overhear us" said Ginny offended

"He has been there the whole meeting!" Tonks added outrageously

"No! No! He hasn't heard anything because I put a silencing spell on the door" Hermione hurried to say defensively "just hear me out!" she begged

"LISTEN!" Draco shouted and the room was silenced "I know you're surprised. As a matter of fact, I'm also surprised, just as much as you are."

"Surprised? that's unbelievable! How could she bring him here?" Neville bursted angrily

"Shut up Neville!" Draco snapped at him "Hermione wouldn't do anything to harm the order! I mean why would she?"

"Please, I can explain" said Hermione, imploring

"We should hear her out" Fred said silently, all the heads turned to him

"Okay, we're hearing" said Neville, indignant. Draco glared at him again

"Today..." Hermione started telling them what happened, how Potter came here, how she interrogated him with Veritaserum, what he told her, etc.

"I don't believe a word of what he's saying!" stated Neville frowning

"But he was under Veritaserum" said Hermione

"Hermione, he's his right hand, his most loyal servant, we can't trust him!" Tonks reasoned

"He killed our brother!" George shouted angrily, a single tear coming down his cheek

"I really don't want to believe it" Draco intervened "I hate him! but if Hermione tested him with Veritaserum, I trust her"

"I trust her too" Fred agreed

"Why don't you get him out of the cupboard?" Luna suggested carelessly staring at the roof