31 chapter 30

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"

Harry and Ron had met with Hermione, and they were making their way towards the Great Hall when they heard the shout. They turned. Draco with Crabbe and Goyle on either side, were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something. Harry really shouldn't be surprised about Draco's acting.

"What?" Ron said shortly.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Draco said, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. "Listen to this!

FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

Draco looked up. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed. Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Draco straightened the paper with a dramatic flourish and read on.

"Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene."

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" Draco loudly said, flipping the paper over and holding it up. "A picture of your parents outside their house – if you can call it a house! your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

Everyone was staring at him. For everyone Ron was shaking with fury, but Harry, and Draco, knew better. Ron was at the brink of laughing, and although he was using it to further his acting, he wouldn't be able to say anything in that state.

Draco probably also saw this and directed the attention to Harry. "Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" he asked with a sneer. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it the picture?"

"You know your mother, Malfoy?" Harry began acting out his side of the plan – Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Draco, and Harry had followed her "example" – "That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

Even when knowing they were all acting, Draco's pale face went slightly pink. Though, he quicky gathered himself back again. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter," he said with a convincing hiss.

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then" Harry said. He was ready to finish this "confrontation" and turned around to walk into the Great Hall.

Harry just managed to hear "Crabbe!" before a spell flew past them, hitting the wall in front of them. It was a stunned silence for maybe a second before "OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" came from behind Harry's group.

Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and was pointed right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Draco had been standing. Crabbe quickly retracted his arm back to his side, hiding how it had just been pointing a wand at Harry.

The stunned silence had turned to terror. Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry – at least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head.

"Did he get you?" Moody growled. His voice was low and gravelly.

Harry, stunned, only answered, "No, missed."

"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.

"Leave – what?" Harry asked, feeling bewildered and small.

"Not you – him!" Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head.

Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.

"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again – it flew three meters into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more. Harry's eyes followed the small white animal as it bounced up and down several times.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do…" The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly. "Never – do – that- again!" Moody said, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.

"Professor Moody!" a shocked voice sounded. Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Moody said calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.

"What - what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall asked, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.

"Teaching," Moody answered nonchalantly.

"Teach - Moody, is that a student?" Professor McGonagall shrieked, the books spilling out of her arms.

"Yep," Moody once again answered indifferently.

"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing.

"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" Professor McGonagall said wealdy. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," Moody gruffly said, scratching his chin unconcernedly, "but I thought a good sharp shock -"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," Moody said, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.

"It was Crabbe that cast the spell, Professor!" someone from the crowd said, and soon everyone was talking over each other agreeing with the statement.

"Then Professor Moody will be taking Mister Crabbe to detention," McGonagall said sharply, clearly talking to Moody, who grumbled before taking Crabbe away. "Well then, into the Great Hall, dinner have already started!" McGonagall loudly announced for the remaining students.

Harry just managed to see Draco leaving down a corridor, alone, before Hermione began dragging them through the doors into the Great Hall. "I'm not really that hungry…" Harry said as he pulled his hand away from Hermione.

"Me neither," Ron said. He appeared a little green.

"Hermione, you didn't really eat much for lunch, so you should eat dinner. We'll just be in the common room," Harry said before she could agree with them. Harry made eye contact with Hermione, "Really, you need to eat," he said as convincing as he could manage it.

Her eyes unfocused for a second before she answered. "Fine, I'll eat." She turned around an went into the Great Hall.

"Let's go," Ron said as soon as Hermione past the threshold. They cross the entrance hall and go down the same corridor as Draco. Every few steps they took they looked back, making sure that no one was following them. they rounded a corner and continued down the corridor, now filled with small alcoves. They looked into the ones they passed, seeing the windows pointing out into the courtyard below.

After repeating this two times they finally found Draco. He was sitting on the floor cradling his wrist. "Hey, Draco," Harry said quietly, trying to gain his attention.

"You need help there, mate?" Ron asked.

Draco looked up at them, and Harry saw that his eyes were still teary from pain. "Yeah…" he managed to say through clenched teeth.

"Okay," Harry began, "But we can't stay here." Draco said something along the lines of "I'm not moving!", but Harry just smiled, "You won't need to. Foorly!" Both Ron and Draco only managed to make a confused face before a "pop" was heard and a House-Elf was standing beside Harry.

"A House-Elf?" Ron asked, "You have some explaining to do later, mate." Harry could only give an awkward smile before Foorly began talking.

"Lord, you calls for Foorly?" the little elf said in a squeaky voice.

"Yes, Foorly. I was wondering if you could apparate me and my friends to my dorm room?" Harry smiled at the elf.

"Foorly can'ts apparate more than 2 other people, Lord, but Foorly cans call one of my group to help!" Harry nodded and Foorly disapparated with another "pop". It didn't take more than a few seconds before two consecutive "pop"-s sounded and Foorly was back with another elf by his side. "Lord, Foorly and Dolpey are here tos apparate Lord and his friends!" Foorly announced.

"Thank you, Foorly, Dolpey," Harry said as Foorly gently grabbed Draco's shoulder and Dolpey grabbed Harry and Ron's outstretched hands. With two "pop"-s the alcove was empty.

Harry finished wrapping the last bandage around Draco's wrist. "There, anywhere else?" Harry asked, and when Draco shook his head Harry began repacking his first aid kit.

"Those were some bad bruises," Ron said, "You sure you're okay?" Draco didn't answer, just continued looking down as he buttoned up his shirt, his bandaged torso slowly disappearing. Even after Draco had finished buttoning his white shirt, and even after he had pulled on his Slytherin cardigan, he still hadn't answered. Harry had finished packing the kit and still not a word.

Harry, Ron, and Draco sat there in silence for a while, Harry didn't know what he should say, or if he should say anything.

In the end Draco only said one word, "Thanks."