A/N: An annoyingly short chapter, I know. I blame it on lack of time. I did manage to finish the editing but . . . there's never a good excuse when you need one.
Two things of casual note. First, we had snow last night and the roads are very slippery. Second, my neighbor has a new garage, kinda. His car slid in the parking lot and went over the bump, slid down the slope, also covered in snow, and smashed through the wall into his bedroom. C'est la vie.
Chapter 9: The Goblins
It is said that no good deed goes unpunished. Draco Malfoy had finally decided to attend his Defense Against the Dark Arts class despite Remus Lupin being a member of the Potter clique. He even went so far as to admit to himself that the man seemed to be a good teacher. And he left without Lupin making any mention of his previous absences.
Hermione was a different story. She controlled herself in class but her smile made it clear to everyone that she would want to know why Draco had a change of heart. Not that she had the chance. Professor McGonagall was waiting outside the classroom.
"Mister Malfoy. You will come with me."
For the looks on all the faces, Hermione was not the only one to be disappointed that his disappearance last night would not be explained. Especially now that it was obvious that something had happened.
Draco was led directly to the headmaster's office. No words were spoken until McGonagall ushered him into the room. Three goblins glared at him as did the Minister for Magic. Dumbledore was the only one who appeared calm.
"I'll close the door," Sirius Black said from behind. Draco turned his head to see his legal guardian with a look that rivaled the Minister's.
"That is the thief who stole our dragon," one of the goblins hissed. "I demand he be turned over to us at once."
"He has the right to explain himself, first," the Minister pointed out. "Unfortunately."
The goblins grinned at the Minister's remark. The one who first spoke addressed Draco.
"Explain, then, why you stole our dragon."
"In all honesty, the dragon stole me. I have witnesses."
No one was amused by his remark. Except perhaps Dumbledore.
"You freed the dragon," the goblin accused.
"Felt sorry for her," Draco drawled. "Lying there in her own filth, chained so tightly she couldn't even move out of the way. Rummy eyed and thin. She wouldn't even attack me, even when I walked within reach."
"Are you saying," Dumbledore interrupted, "that this is a case of animal abuse?"
Draco started to answer but the Minister decided it was time for him to say something. "Perhaps, Albus, the boy arrived after the dragon had been fed but before its pen had been cleaned for the night. I personally saw the dragon pit and it was relatively clean." Turning back to Draco, he added, "I think we can forget that argument. There is something more serious to talk about. Twelve goblins were murdered by this young man."
"Ooooh," Draco said callously. "Better hang me right off, then."
As the Minister and two of the goblins lunged for Draco, he was grabbed roughly from behind. He lost his footing while Dumbledore was shouting something. He couldn't make it out because Professor McGonagall was screaming at Sirius Black to grab hold of himself. Falling heavily on his side, Draco decided staying on the floor was the best thing to do. Until all the yelling stopped or the pain in his arm eased up so he could at least move it.
The goblins were yelling. The Minister was yelling. Dumbledore was yelling back. McGonagall was standing above him yelling at Black. And Black was yelling at her. Everyone stopped when Draco yelled. Someone had stepped on his hand, the one attached to the arm that it hurt to move.
Thirty minutes later, the 'interview' continued in the infirmary when Madam Pomfrey finished attending to Draco's arm. She assured everyone that it was only a small break. When Sirius Black insisted he didn't mean to handle him that roughly, he had his words tossed back in his face. "It wasn't enough that you threw him on the ground? You had to stomp on his hand and break his fingers?"
It was not the proper time or place, but Draco had to grin when Professor McGonagall said, "Er".
The Minister used the brief silence to ask Madam Pomfrey to administer Veritaserum to the boy. She refused. The Minister explained why. She refused, again. She would not administer any potions, except for medical purposes, without the headmaster's orders and "a damn good reason".
"Minister," Dumbledore said softly, "may I suggest an alternative. All we need do is ask Mister Malfoy to promise to tell the truth."
Because the Minister was still glaring at him, Draco sneered back. "Of course, I promise."
The Minister smiled. "An unbreakable promise, Mister Malfoy. You promise to tell the truth. If you lie, you die." Crouch smirked at his little rhyme.
"An Unbreakable Vow, Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore explained. "I will tell you what you need to say."
"I'll wager ten Galleons he can't do it," Black said snidely. "Any takers."
"Goblins do not throw their money away," one of them said. "We will not take the wager."
"I will," Draco said. "I'll do 'bout anythin' for money."
"Your accent is slipping," Dumbledore said. "And there will be no gambling in my presence by any of the students."
Draco stood up. He held out his good hand which Dumbledore grasped firmly in his own. The Minister held his wand over the two hands so that it was touching both of them.
Dumbledore asked his question. "Do you, Draco Malfoy, swear to answer truthfully, for the next hour, any and all questions asked you concerning the events that occurred while you were in Gringotts Bank?"
Draco answered nervously, "I swear."
A red flame wrapped around their two hands, the headmaster's and Draco's. As it faded, Dumbledore released his grasp.
"An hour?" the Minister asked. Draco looked at his pickle watch to note the time. Secretly, he hoped the 'interview' would last 61 minutes.
"Sufficient time," Dumbledore replied. "Regardless of what happened, I don't think we want Draco repeating the events to anyone who asks."
"That would not be a problem," one of the goblins said. "No one in Azkaban will ever ask."
"But he might be innocent," Dumbledore added. The way he said the word, might, let everyone know that he would not believe the worst until he knew it was the truth.
"Let's get started then," Minister Crouch said. "Mister Malfoy, why did you go to Gringotts Bank?"
"I wanted to see the dragon," Draco said evenly. He smiled as he understood something. All he had to do was tell the truth. It didn't have to be the whole truth. He didn't have to mention going into a vault. "I even had a plan to make sure it didn't attack me. My patronus is a dragon."
A goblin asked him to explain that remark. Draco related his plan to call his patronus and have it stand over him. The dragon would think he was a dragon and wouldn't hurt him. When the goblin asked in surprise if it had worked, Draco sneered. He told the goblin that when the dragon turned to look at him his courage failed. The dragon never saw his patronus, not clearly at least. When asked what did the dragon do, he explained that she sniffed him then turned away, moaning. She couldn't be bothered.
"What happened when the goblins came?" The Minister asked.
"No goblins came," Draco answered easily. "No one came."
Everyone paused.
"No one?" the Minister asked.
"No. Well, Kreacher was there when he took me to see the dragon but he left at once." His sneer was back. "I didn't want him to get hurt."
The Minister and the goblins began discussing something, loud enough so that Draco could hear them talking but not loud enough that he could make out what they were saying. Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore joined the group.
Madam Pomfrey used the time to see how Draco's hand was. She smiled when he showed her he could bend his fingers a little. She also assured him that his hand would be fine by the time the interview was over.
"Excuse me," the Minister said with surprising politeness to Madam Pomfrey. They were ready to begin asking questions again.
"Whot?"
It was Sirius Black who spoke. "Draco, please tell them I was there with you. I can verify everything you told them."
Draco frowned. "You weren't there," he said without thinking. "No one else was there. Only myself and the dragon."
"The oath is working," Sirius Black told them. "He answered too quickly to even think about it. And I know the ba . . . boy. He would think about that."
The chief goblin claimed that the Oath was a fraud, a fake to cheat them of justice. The Minister assured them that he had cast the spell himself. The boy was still alive, therefore he must have spoken the truth despite the clear evidence to show where the goblins had died.
Dumbledore suggested that perhaps Draco did not see or hear the goblins. If they came after Draco had released the dragon from its chains, he may have been too distracted to notice.
"He could be right," Draco noted. "But I'm surprised no one asked me about the dragon."
"What about the dragon?" Dumbledore asked casually.
"Whot I said earlier, about her condition. It's all true. And I'd wager me cobblers she weren't just fed."
"Cobblers?" a goblin asked.
Dumbledore immediately motioned for Draco not to answer that question. He smiled at the goblin. "It is a colloquial expression. Mister Malfoy is saying he would stake his life on his statement about the dragon." He paused for effect. "In view of the oath he made, he has staked his life. We must believe Draco."
The Minister snarled before the goblins could. "There are twelve piles of ashes down there and you want us to consider if they were feeding it properly? That is insulting, not only to the goblin community but to the Ministry, itself."
"Only if it is a lie," Dumbledore added. "Draco is guilty of releasing the dragon. But if he is correct about what he believes, the goblins themselves are responsible for its aggressive behavior toward them." His voice turned dark. "Or am I to believe that no arrangements were made should such a beast break free?"
"We had the means," the goblins shouted, "but the Malfoy foiled them."
"Draco Malfoy saw nothing. He clearly stated that he saw no one." Dumbledore said the words so calmly, he could have been asking if they liked their tea. "It is normal to try to find someone to blame, but it is necessary to make sure the blame is justified."
The Minister waved the argument away. "The boy said what he believes is true. He also said there was no one there. We cannot accept his word without anything to support it. Had the dragon truly been abused, that would mitigate Malfoy's responsibility for the deaths (which did occur regardless of whether or not he noticed). The dragon escaped. Where is your proof?"
Dumbledore smiled as he reached inside his robes and pulled out two rolls of parchment. "The proof is here, Bartemius. Draco did mention in my office that there were witnesses. Two men who normally work at a dragon preserve. They were in London on Ministry business. They followed the dragon, who had taken Draco with it, with her. And they observed her until they had a chance to effect a rescue. If anything, their testimonies are more graphic."
Professor McGonagall smiled. "So Draco was also telling the truth when he said the dragon stole him."
Draco was left with Sirius Black and Madam Pomfrey while everyone else returned to Dumbledore's office.
"Should I apologize?" Sirius asked.
"Would you mean it?" Draco was flexing his hand, the one that McGonagall had stepped on. The broken fingers were completely healed, although the hand still felt stiff.
Sirius barked a laugh. "You have me there. I should mean it, but . . . you have my apology anyway." He casually walked over. "While you're still bound by that oath, why did you have Kreacher take you in there when you knew he couldn't take you back out?"
Draco answered the question with a look and a red face. A smiling Sirius Black promised to ask no more questions.
No more than fifteen minutes had passed before Professor McGonagall returned. She announced that Draco was free to leave. As it was nearly noon, he might as well go to the Great Hall. Sirius Black generously offered to escort him, pointing out that he did apologize for losing his temper. Again. It was an occupational hazard when you were Draco's legal guardian.
McGonagall agreed only because she heard Draco's snort. She also admonished Draco to tell no one about what happened.
Sirius tried to make conversation as they walked through the corridors. He made the mistake of first asking how Draco liked the DADA teacher. For that, he received his longest answer. "He's your friend." Efforts to change the subject resulted in one word answers or grunts. He did get Draco to laugh a little when he called the boy a "moody little bastard".
As luck would have it, Hermione and Justin were standing outside the Great Hall, talking to each other. (As they were in different houses, it was hard to talk once they went inside and sat at separate tables.) Their presence meant that he could be free of Sirius Black. Except that black insisted on saying hello to his friends before leaving.
Justin was smiling as the walked up. "What was the big meeting all about, then?"
Draco couldn't help himself. "Went into Gringotts to see the dragon. Ended up setting her free. She smashed the place all to hell getting out."
Hermione was horrified at the thought, but her first concern was for her friend. She quickly asked, "What happened to you?"
"The dragon took me with her when she left."
"Malfoy?" It was Sirius Black's very surprised voice.
Draco looked at his pickle watch. It was now 58 minutes since he had taken the oath.
"BLOODY HELL!"
