Draco left the room of requirements giving Gyole a nod that he was free to go. He was giving a very displeased and angry look from a first-year Gryffindor girl before she turned and left. Yep, poly juice was quickly becoming one of Draco's best potions he had brewed a large batch at the start of the year though now it was getting low he would need to find time to make more.
It was already November and he hadn't made any progress on the cabinet. last year had been one of his best, this year was one of his worst. With his father in Azkaban and having failed the mission, the dark lord had given him.
Many things changed very quickly the dark lord decided that the Malfoy manor would be their new headquarters for one. Taking away any safe and comfort that he had felt in his home. Letting whatever death eater enter as they pleased his fucking snake eating many of the rare animals that they had kept on the grounds.
Then before the summer was over the dark lord marked him and gave him his first task an impossible task. Find a way for death eaters to enter Hogwarts and kill the headmaster Albus Dumbordor. There was no quidditch, no time for hanging out with friends, no keeping his grades up, no more than an hour or so of sleep a night and no more than three bites of food before he felt sick.
Draco dug his fingers into his tired eyes. But there was stress yes plenty of stress sprinkled with a bit of fear and paranoia. It probably wouldn't have been as bad if his mother wasn't basically being held captive in her own house, if only she was able to be someplace safe he would feel a bit better maybe sleep three hours in a fucking night.
But no she was there with them her best chance of protection being his aunt and he did not feel confident about that at all. this year and the whole situation was a shit show and it was all fucking Potter's fault.
Draco thought about the start of the year and how he tried to keep things normal and although he quit quidditch and being a prefect how he still tried to at least do well in school and interact with his peers.
That's how he spent the first month being back at school. That was a mistake he should have been working more on the cabinet if he could just fix that dame piece of junk then maybe he could find a way to deal with the headmaster. Maybe they could say his aunt just got too excited and killed him before he could.
The dark lord would not be happy that he didn't do the deed but the task would have been done by a member of his family and one of his favorite minions. Draco walked the halls knowing that he wouldn't be sleeping tonight he was too wound up. He thought of heading to the library and sneaking into the restricted section to see if he could find any books that he could use to find a way to fix the bloody cabinet.
Hermione was glad she didn't have to share patrol with Ron like they did in fifth year no sixth year and higher could patrol alone help covers more ground. after the last quidditch game when he kissed Lavendar she had been avoiding him pretty hard not that he noticed.
She once again felt like an idiot during their time at Grimmauld place over the summer she had once again started developing feelings for her friend, but again she clearly misread what she thought was his shared interest, and flirting was all in her head.
Hermione let out a sigh she was nearing the end of her patrol for the night so far it had been a fairly quiet night only a couple of 4th-year Raven Claws had been out after curfew. On nights like this she wished she was more like Ron with how quiet it was he would have called it an early night and headed back to the common room she was pretty sure her fellow prefect from Hufflepuff most likely had headed back to his dorm instead of finishing his part of the castle.
But no she just couldn't find it in herself to leave a task unfinished. she turned the Connor wishing she had called it a night.
Down the hall walked Draco Mayfol his blond hair almost glowing in the dark. She was about to get his attention and tell him he shouldn't be out of bed and that she would be reporting this to the heads when Harry's voice spoke in the back of her head " he's one of them I'm sure of it".
What was he doing walking the halls at this time of night? He had been weird all year quitting quidditch giving up his position as being a prefect not performing well in classes and barely acknowledging Harry or anyone really this year.
He had also lost a great deal of weight and for someone like him, it wasn't needed. She decided to follow him a bit to see what he was up to maybe if she found out what he was doing she could give Harry some peace of mind.
Hermione cast a quick silencing charm and followed him up some stairs down hallways turning left-right. Where the hell was he going? she just turned a corner when arms came around her trapping her a hand covering her mouth she was dragged a bit through a door struggling the whole time. Even with the panic, her flight instincts kicked in she stomped her heel down on their toe with her left foot and then drove her right elbow into her attacker's ribs. She pushed herself away whipping around and raising her wand. She was met with Draco Mayflo's wand in her face.