Chapter 59. Draco with matches
Harry walked down the corridor, pondering the mysterious appearance of Malfoy at Dumbledore's secret Army training. What did it mean?
"Hey, Harry," Jeanne called out to him. "What are you thinking about?"
Harry reminded her of the situation with Malfoy's visit.
"Hmm, that's strange," Jeanne mused. "Maybe he wanted to get into the Room of Requirement but didn't expect to see us there."
"But why would he need to go there?" Harry wondered.
"I don't know," Jeanne frowned. "Maybe he's on a mission and needed the room? And seeing us, he got flustered and left."
"Hmm, that sounds reasonable," Harry nodded. "Either way, I need to talk to him. Thanks for the ideas, Jeanne! I'll try to find Malfoy."
Harry walked down the corridor, replaying the unexpected visit from Malfoy to the Room of Requirement, the conversation with Jeanne, and the possible reasons behind this incident in his mind.
Suddenly, fast footsteps sounded behind him and someone called out, "Harry, wait!"
He turned around and saw a breathless Mash. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and her cheeks were flushed. There was excitement in her eyes.
"Harry, I have something important to tell you! It's very urgent!" she blurted out, catching her breath after running.
"What happened, Mash?" Harry asked, concerned.
"I was just in the Room of Requirement," Mash began, "and I saw a complete mess there! Someone clearly was searching for something, turning everything upside down."
Harry furrowed his brow. What kind of peculiarities were occurring lately?
Together, they headed towards the Room of Requirement. Ron and Hermione were already there, their faces filled with worry.
"Harry, look at this! Someone was rummaging through our things!" Hermione exclaimed.
Surveying the mess, Harry noticed that some books and parchment were missing. It was unclear what exactly the intruder was looking for.
"It was definitely Malfoy!" Ron stated.
But Harry felt bewildered. Something was off here... He continued to inspect the chaos for a while, trying to understand what had happened. Ron and Hermione also looked bewildered.
"Well, we won't be able to clarify anything right now," Harry finally said. "Let's discuss all of this together later. Right now, I need to take a walk and think."
His friends nodded in agreement. They agreed to gather in the common room in the evening and discuss all the strange events of the past few days.
Harry left the Room of Requirement and walked down the corridor, deeply lost in thought, when suddenly he heard a familiar voice.
"Good day, Harry!"
He turned around and saw Ritsuka Fujimaru smiling at him, walking towards him.
"Hello, Fujimaru-san!" Harry replied.
"Is something wrong? You look worried," Ritsuka asked, tilting his head slightly.
Harry nodded and briefly told him about Draco Malfoy's mysterious visit to Dumbledore's Army practice and the even more mysterious chaos in the Room of Requirement.
"Hmm, very interesting," Ritsuka said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Unfortunately, I couldn't attend that evening. But Mash told me about this strange incident."
"What do you think it was?" Harry asked. "And who recently broke into the Room of Requirement?"
"It's hard to say for sure," Ritsuka answered. "About the first one - it's possible that Mr. Malfoy had some business in the Room of Requirement. I would advise you to talk to him when you have the chance. But as for the second one, I have no idea, I can't even guess."
"Alright, I will do that," Harry nodded. "Thank you for the advice, Fujimaru-san!"
"You're always welcome!" Ritsuka smiled. "Good luck in unraveling this mystery."
They said goodbye, and Harry continued walking, thinking about the upcoming conversation with Draco.
Draco sat in the far corner of the Slytherin common room, leaning on the table and resting his head in his hand. His gaze was fixed on the stained glass window, which revealed the depths of the Black Lake. It seemed his thoughts were far away.
Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and the other Slytherins were seated in nearby armchairs, enthusiastically discussing the latest news about the Death Eaters. Their voices rang with excitement.
Draco glanced briefly at them and then turned his gaze back to the window. He felt uneasy about their excitement...
"Hey, Malfoy, heard your father had another successful operation," Zabini said, turning to Draco. "Now your family is a real hero to us!"
Draco silently shook his head. What nonsense. His father was in Azkaban after a failure. And he himself did not consider the Death Eaters heroes after what he had witnessed.
"Oh, come on, don't be modest!" Theodore Nott exclaimed. "Now you must follow in your father's footsteps. Show us your Mark!"
Draco instinctively pulled his sleeve down. The thought of showing that mark disgusted him. He didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps and kill on Voldemort's orders.
Draco looked around at the gathered students. He used to take pride in being a part of the elite Slytherin house. But now he saw how far behind his peers lagged in life.
While other houses welcomed many talented first-year students from Muggle families, here there was a stagnant swamp of prejudice. Even the only new student, a boy from a non-pureblood family, was immediately driven away and pushed to the sidelines, having to sit in the common room, flinching at every sound, solely thanks to Snape's protection. It's not like the Head of House was particularly kind or merciful to the newcomer, as he too gave him a hard time, but at least that seemed better than having no protection at all.
Draco thought about the changes in his life - his father's arrest, his mother urging him to find true friends, the cruelty of the Death Eaters that he had witnessed. And he realized that he could no longer be a part of all that.
"It's time to get rid of the old fool Dumbledore! And after him, we'll overthrow the lion-masked king!" came a voice from the corner. "No Gryffindor has any business sitting on the throne!"
"Enough!" Draco couldn't contain himself. "I don't want to hear this! You're a herd of ignorant fools living in the world you've made up!"
Dozens of stunned eyes stared at him.
"Do you still believe that purity of blood is the main value? That Slytherin is the elite and the rest are insignificants? That violence and murder are heroic deeds?" Draco continued angrily. "You are out of touch with reality!"
He looked at the Mark on his hand with hatred:
"I don't want anything to do with this. And I don't want to be one of you!" Draco shouted, breathing heavily with anger.
He fell silent, trying to calm his breath. In the ensuing silence, only his intermittent sobbing and the rustle of whispers behind him could be heard.
"Have you lost your mind, Malfoy?!" Blaise exclaimed. "Your father fought for the honor of pure-bloods! And you're renouncing that?"
"My father is in prison! And I don't want to repeat his fate", Draco retorted.
"Coward! Do you really want to disgrace your family?!" Pansy Parkinson yelled. "The Dark Lord will rescue you from there on the first day!"
"Really? I can see clearly how he rescued my father on the first day! He dragged my father there, and now he's dragging me there too! Are you all so blind?"
Draco glanced at the outraged faces around him. His words didn't reach them. They didn't want to understand anything.
"Do whatever you want. But I will no longer follow this madness", he said tiredly.
Draco clenched his fists, preparing to say something else, but then he saw a tall figure frozen in the doorway. It was Snape.
Draco and Snape silently looked at each other. Snape didn't show any emotions, only a slight surprise flickered in his eyes.
Finally, he spoke in his usual calm tone:
"Mister Malfoy, come with me."
Snape led Draco out of the Slytherin common room and invited him into his office.
"Sit down, Mr. Malfoy", Snape said, pointing to a chair in front of his desk.
Draco sat down, feeling empty after the outburst of emotions.
"What happened in the common room?" Snape asked after a pause. "That was quite... expressive speech."
Draco sighed heavily.
"I just couldn't handle their conversations anymore. I'm disgusted by all this obsession with blood purity and violence. I don't want anything to do with it anymore", he sincerely said.
Snape looked at him thoughtfully.
"I understand. You have been through a lot lately, and your views are changing. But be careful with making abrupt statements."
He placed his hand on Draco's shoulder:
"Know that if you need help, I am here. You are not alone."
Draco felt relieved by his words. It seemed that Snape was truly on his side.
"I appreciate your support, Professor", - Draco said after a pause. "But I'm afraid I need to be alone and think about everything. Too much is happening."
"Of course, as you wish", - Snape nodded.
"You know, I almost made a fatal mistake the other day, - Draco confessed. "Fortunately, everything turned out okay. But it made me seriously reconsider things.
He looked into Snape's eyes:
"I'm not sure if I can fulfill the mission entrusted to me. It's beyond my capabilities. I would prefer to find another way where no one gets hurt."
Snape looked at him attentively in response.
"I understand your doubts. Please, be careful with your words and actions. And remember that you are not alone", he said meaningfully.
Draco nodded gratefully and left, feeling relieved after the honest conversation.
After the conversation with Snape, Draco walked into one of the old castle corridors where few people rarely visited. Leaning against the windowsill, he stared at the starry sky, trying to organize his thoughts.
Suddenly, a quiet voice sounded:
"Hello, Draco."
Draco turned around and saw a young man with blue hair in a neat suit. The man held an open book in his hand.
"You look troubled", the young man said softly. "What is bothering you?"
Draco sighed. He recognized the newcomer as Hans - the Servant summoned by his father.
"Doubts torment me", Draco confessed after a pause. "I would like to go and tell everything to the headmaster... But I'm afraid of the consequences."
"I could tell Dumbledore the whole truth", Draco said, looking out the window. "But I'm afraid they won't understand me. Or believe me. Or consider me a traitor."
"Your worries are understandable", Hans nodded. "But you shouldn't exaggerate the possible risks. You are stronger than you think."
"What if Azkaban awaits me? Or if my father suffers? Or my mother? I can't take such risks!" Draco exclaimed.
"You have a kind heart, Draco. You will choose the right path, I believe in that", Hans reassuringly said. "Don't rush your decision. Listen to yourself, and the answer will come."
Draco thought. Maybe the Servant was right. It was worth considering everything calmly, without panic. A solution would be found.
"Thank you", he thanked Hans thoughtfully, and the latter disappeared with a slight smile into the air.
After Hans disappeared, Draco stood by the window for a long time, looking at the night sky. The Servant's words gave him hope, but doubts still plagued him.
He thought about Snape, who unexpectedly offered him a helping hand. About his parents, awaiting his decision. About classmates who didn't understand him.
Well, he promised himself to think everything through carefully. To make a decision that speaks to his soul. And whichever choice it may be — he will make it, following the call of his heart.
Draco looked at the stars one last time and left the corridor. He felt calmer. Whatever his decision was — now he knew he wasn't alone.