Chapter Seventeen: Malfoy’s Proposition.
“I have to go see Dumbledore, now.”
“It’s one o’clock in the morning, Harry.”
“I don’t care; he’d want to know right away that there are Death Eaters on the grounds,” he said as he picked up his Invisibility Cloak again and headed for the portrait hole. He left, throwing his cloak over himself “ he didn’t feel like wasting time if Snape or Filch caught him walking about at night. He walked quickly, his mind racing with questions; he reached the entrance to Dumbledore’s office.
“Chocolate frog.”
The entrance opened, and he into the office, taking off his cloak. He looked around, all the portraits were asleep. He cleared his throat to speak
“Excuse me...” he said loudly enough to wake up a few of the paintings. “I...er...need to speak with the Headmaster. It’s very important. Do you know where I could find him?”
A sleepy looking wizard Harry recognized as Armando Dippet muttered “Hold on Mr. Potter, I’ll go get him...” and stood up, walking out the side of his portrait. A few minutes later, Professor Dumbledore entered the office from a door on the side. More of the paintings had woke up, and were paying rapt attention: they had enough experience with Harry’s visits to Dumbledore’s office to know this was probably worth listening to.
“What’s wrong, Harry?” asked Dumbledore as he sat down at his desk.
“Well, I was, er... walking around the grounds a just now...” Harry paused, waiting for Dumbledore’s response. Dumbledore, however, who had resigned himself to Harry’s rule breaking, merely nodded and asked him to continue.
“I was coming back to the castle when I saw Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. They were talking about some ‘plan’ they were going through with “ something they had to bring back to Voldemort. It had something to do with me.”
Bellatrix was impatient, she wanted to get on with it, but Malfoy said they had to be careful “ or you’d find out they were here.”
“Whereabouts on the grounds did you see them, Harry?” Dumbledore asked very seriously.
“Very far out, right on the edge. When they left, they headed into the forest.” Harry said as Dumbledore stood up and walked across the room to Fawkes, who disapparated in a flash after the Headmaster whispered something to him. “Professor, do you mind if I ask “ how did they get into the grounds?”
“Well it’s not impossible. You might remember, Harry, the time that Barty Crouch got in through the forest - and he was struggling against the Imperius Curse at the time. Can you tell me anything else about what happened, Harry?”
“No, sir.”
“Then perhaps you should get to bed; if we have Death Eaters on the grounds then I have a lot to do.”
“Yes sir.”
Harry returned to the common room and tried to sleep. It was difficult “ seeing Bellatrix had stirred up memories of Sirius’s death; he felt angry just at the thought that she was still free to walk around, while his godfather was gone forever.. When he finally drifted off, his dreams were filled with Bellatrix’s cruel laugh as the image of Sirius falling through the archway haunted him over and over again.
Harry woke up the next morning feeling like there was a huge weight on his chest. He hadn’t had dreams of Sirius’s death for nearly a month. Harry dragged himself out of bed and pulled on his robes “ he had to find Ron and Hermione and tell them about the night before. He left for the Great Hall where breakfast was just starting. He scanned the table for his friends “ but they were nowhere to be seen. He went over to Neville.
“Neville have you seen Ron and Hermione?”
“Yeah, they took breakfast with them and left “they went for a walk in the grounds.”
“What? They shouldn’t be in the grounds alone “ not when...”
“Not when what? Harry?”
Harry looked at Neville. He deserved to know “ he was part of this too; Bellatrix had put his parents in St. Mungo’s, and hadn’t hesitated in using Crucio on Neville in the Department of Ministries last year.
“Come with me to find Ron and Hermione...I’ll tell you all about it.”
Harry quickly turned and left for the Entrance Hall, Neville tailing behind him.
“What’s going on?”
“I was out in the grounds last night with Katie. We saw Death Eaters, they were plotting something.”
“Death Eaters? Are you sure Harry “ how would they get on the grounds?”
“It was Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange “ and Dumbledore said it’s not impossible for an outsider to get onto the grounds,’ Harry replied, walking quickly and looking in all directions, looking for Ron and Hemrione.
“Bellatrix...” Neville said nervously. “She’s the one who helped torture my parents, and the one who...”
“...Killed Sirius.” Harry said angrily
“You probably hate her as much as I do,” Neville said quietly.
Harry looked at Neville, shocked for a moment.
“I do hate her... but I think what she’s done to you is worse.”
“Harry, you don’t think Draco could be helping them? “ Mr. Malfoy is his father, after all...”
“I wouldn’t put it past him, Neville.”
Just then, he spotted Ron and Hermione walking by the lake. He ran over to them.
“Ron, Hermione “ I want to talk to you...”
“Now?”
“Yeah “ it’s important. You shouldn’t be outside the castle alone anyway “ it’s not safe.”
“Why?” asked Hermione, bewildered, but following him back to this castle anyway.
“Death Eaters.”
“Harry, I highly doubt that there are Death Eaters strolling around Hogwarts...”
“Don’t be so sure Hermione.”
“Harry,” Ron asked “What’s going on?”
Harry told them about what he heard the night before.
“Harry, mate, you don’t think...they’re not here to bring you to You-Know-Who are they?”
“I don’t know Ron.”
“Harry,” said Hermione. “Surely Voldemort wouldn’t send Death Eaters to take you from Hogwarts? It would be too risky...”
“Would it Hermione? I mean, if I hadn’t had my cloak last night they probably would have killed Katie and taken me with them “ and they would have gotten away with it, too.”
“And how would they have known you were going to be strolling around the edge of the grounds in the middle of the night?”
“I didn’t say that they would know Hermione,” Harry said, getting impatient. “I just said it wouldn’t have been difficult. Besides, even if they’re not here for me “ it’s something very important. I doubt Voldemort sends his best Death Eaters off places to take care of little tasks.”
Harry was beginning to wonder why he always felt so obligated to tell Ron and Hermione everything, when all they did was ask questions that he didn’t have answers to. Just then a voice called out behind them.
“Hey Potter!” It was Malfoy.
“Get lost, Malfoy...”
“Well, well “ did Saint Potter wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Or maybe you’re just scared to face your Quidditch competition, with the game coming up so close...”
“I don’t consider you competition, Malfoy. We both know I’m better.”
“Prove it, Potter...” He dropped his voice so the other three couldn’t hear. “...you could meet me tonight for a little one on one Quidditch practice. Let’s see who’s really the better Seeker, tonight, midnight on the Quidditch pitch, without Granger and Weasel.”
“We already know who the better Seeker is, Malfoy; stop wasting my time...” Harry said coolly as he walked away
“What’s wrong, Potter? Can’t handle a little friendly competition?” Malfoy called after him.
“What was that about, mate?” Ron asked Harry as he rejoined the other three.
“Malfoy wanted to meet me tonight on the grounds. Wanted to prove he was a better Seeker with a little ‘friendly’ competition, or so he says.”
He turned to Neville.
“Looks like you were right, Neville, Malfoy’s gotten involved in the family business.”
“What do you mean?” asked Hermione.
“Malfoy’s helping his dad “ that’s why he tried to get me on the grounds tonight, alone. It was a trap.” Harry sped up, walking towards the castle.
“Harry, where are you going “ we have Herbology in a few minutes.”
“Tell Professor Sprout I’ll be late. I’m going to see Dumbledore so I can tell him exactly what Malfoy the Prefect is up to.”