Traitor: A Draco Malfoy Story

sixteen

Before I sat down at the Slytherin table for breakfast the next morning, I made a quick detour to make sure Harry was alright after detention the previous night, But he wasn't with the Gryffindors. Only Ron and Hermione sat in the trio's usual spot.

"If you're looking for Harry, he's not coming to breakfast," Hermione said sadly.

"Detention was pretty bad then?" I asked.

She motioned for me to sit. I plopped down next to Ron, who flinched. Hermione shot him a look, and he just sat uncomfortably next to me. "Usually detention is just helping organize books or spending extra hours sorting things, but what that horrid woman did to Harry..." Hermione trailed off. "Let's just say, it wasn't even legal."

"She made him write lines using his own blood," Ron shuddered.

I looked at them, astonished. "Did she stab him or something?"

"No. There's a quill--it's dark magic stuff--that doesn't require ink. It uses the blood of the writer." Hermione rubbed her temples. "It's an extremely medieval device anyway, banned in most countries."

"We have to tell someone," I exclaimed, though trying to keep my voice down. "Dumbledore--"

"Dumbledore's gone, Azalea."

I blinked. He was Headmaster, he couldn't just leave. And I just saw him yesterday.

"He's been under an enormous amount of stress from the Ministry to step down due to his support of Harry and the belief that You-Know-Who is back," Ron said, speaking around the sausages and bacon he was cramming into his mouth. "I wouldn't be surprised if he goes into hiding."

I let my head fall into my hands. I feared without Dumbledore, there wouldn't be much to protect me from whatever Voldemort had planned. Not only that but how would I deal with the continued changes to myself without him there to tell me what I was going through? Not that he knew much in the first place.

"The Ministry is seriously overstepping its bounds," Hermione scoffed. "Cornelius Fudge has Umbridge inspecting all the classes and professors to make sure that the courses are 'up to par'. It's absolutely ridiculous. They never would have pulled this just a year ago."

"Some students in my classes mentioned there were changes underway," I said.

"Oh, we aren't even being taught anything in Defense Against the Dark Arts. You know, you were there," Ron mumbled.

"A few of us have been talking about maybe needing a more hands-on approach to that class, maybe some better instruction, practicing defensive spells..." Hermione had dropped her voice to almost a whisper and I just barely caught it through the chatter that filled the Great Hall.

"Hermione," Ron hissed. "That's private!"

"She has a right to know!" Hermione exclaimed. "If Harry and Dumbledore trust her, then I don't see why she shouldn't be let in on the--"

His eyes darted back and forth between us girls. I feared he'd make himself dizzy with his lack of subtlety. "But she's a Slytherin."

"Excuse me?" I turned to him. "Do we have a problem?"

Ron's eyes widened and he desperately tried to backpedal. "Well, no, it's just, you know, Slytherins aren't exactly good, you know, there isn't really a Slytherin that hasn't gone bad..."

"No, I don't know, Ron. If you haven't already gathered, this is my first year at this school, my second day even. I don't care about the politics of your houses. I'm just trying to survive. So please, for the love of God, just knock it off!" I snapped. "I'm not going to hurt you, I don't know how to hurt you, so how about you stop being so judgemental!"