Unexpected | Bill Weasley

~35~ Draco's Problem

After dinner, I quickly went around looking for Draco. I found him and called him into my office. When we sat down, I spoke. "Draco, why on earth would you break Harry Potter's nose!" 

He scowled. "So you just believe everything that Potter says?"

I said nothing and just kept looking at him.

"Alright fine, yes I did." he crossed his arms. "Happy?"

"No I'm not," I said. "Why did you do it?"

"He was listening in on my conversation, it was private."

I sighed. "Yes what he did was wrong, but you shouldn't have broken his nose, I'll be giving you detention for that."

Draco groaned.

"I'm sorry Draco but breaking someone's nose...."

He sighed. "I know I know,"

I looked at the clock. "You'd better go, I don't want you to be too late."

He nodded and left. I placed my head in my hands and rubbed my eyes. I had to find away to help Draco.

I was the only one who could help him.

~ ~ ~
Everything was going pretty smoothly throughout the term, until the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. I was with Minnie in her office, and we were discussing my wedding with Bill.

"Ginny is going to be a flower girl, and Bill was thinking of making Charlie his best man." I said.

Minnie was about to reply when the door burst open and Hagrid rushed in, carrying Katie Bell. "I don't know what happened to her, but Harry, Ron, Hermione and another girl Leanne saw what happened. We think Katie's been cursed."

Minnie gasped. "Take Miss. Bell to the hospital wing. Fawn, come with me."

I followed her out of the office and we rushed out of the castle. As we rushed out into the snow, we spotted Harry, Ron, Hermione and Leanne.

"Hagrid says you four saw what happened to Katie Bell — upstairs to my office at once, please!" Minnie said. "What's that you're holding, Potter?"

"It's the thing she touched," said Harry, holding out a scarf.

"Good lord," said Professor McGonagall, looking alarmed as she took the necklace from Harry. "No, no, Filch, they're with us!" she added hastily, as Filch came shuffling eagerly across the entrance hall holding his Secrecy Sensor aloft. "Take this necklace to Professor Snape at once, but be sure not to touch it, keep it wrapped in the scarf!"

We all followed Minnie to her office, and when we reached there, Minnie and I whipped around to face Harry, Ron, Hermione and a sobbing Leanne.

"What happened?" I asked sharply.

Haltingly, and with many pauses while she attempted to control her crying, Leanne told us how Katie had gone to the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks and returned holding an unmarked package, how Katie had seemed a little odd, and how they had argued about the advisability of agreeing to deliver unknown objects, the argument culminating a the tussle over the parcel, which tore open. At this point, Leanne was so overcome, there was no getting another word out of her.

"All right," said Minnie kindly "go up to the hospital wing, please, Leanne, and get Madam Pomfrey to give you something for shock."

When she left, Minnie and I turned back to the other three.

"Why," I said. "Is it always you three?"

"Believe me Professors," said Ron. "We've been asking ourselves the same question for five years."

"What happened when Katie touched the necklace?" asked Minnie.

"She rose up in the air," said Harry. "and then began to scream, and collapsed. Professor, can I see Professor Dumbledore, please?"

"The headmaster is away until Monday, Potter," said Minnie, looking surprised.

"Away?" Harry repeated angrily.

"Yes, Potter, away!" said Minnie tartly "But anything you have to say about this horrible business can be said to us, I'm sure!"

He paused. "I think Draco Malfoy gave Katie that necklace, Professor." 

Ron rubbed his nose in apparent embarrassment and Hermione shuffled her feet as though quite keen to put a bit of distance between herself and Harry. I believed Harry, but I couldn't say anything. If I did, Draco would die and his whole family would be killed.

"That is a very serious accusation, Potter," said Minnie, after a shocked pause. "Do you have any proof?"

I tried to give Harry a look of warning, but he ignored me.

"No," said Harry, "but..." and he told her about following Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes and the conversation they had over-heard between him and Mr. Borgin.

When he had finished speaking, Minnie looked slightly confused.

"Malfoy took something to Borgin and Burkes for repair?"

"No, Professor, he just wanted Borgin to tell him how to mend something, he didn't have It with him. But that's not the point, the thing is that he bought something at the same time, and I think it was that necklace...."

"You saw Malfoy leaving the shop with a similar package?"

"No, Professor, he told Borgin to keep it in the shop for him-"

Harry, Ron and Hermione began arguing, as if Minnie and I weren't there, and Minnie had enough.

"That's enough!" said Minnie. "Potter, I appreciate you telling me this, but we cannot point the finger of blame at Mr. Malfoy purely because he visited the shop where this necklace might have been purchased. The same is probably true of hundreds of people, and in any case, we have put stringent security measures in place this year. I do not believe that necklace can possibly have entered this school without our knowledge."

Harry tried to speak but Minnie cut him off. "And what is more, Mr. Malfoy was not in Hogsmeade today."

Harry gasped. "How do you know Professor?"

"Because he was doing detention with me in the morning. He has now failed to complete his Transfiguration homework twice in a row. So, thank you for telling me your suspicions, Potter," she said as she marched past them, "but I need to go up to the hospital wing now to check on Katie Bell. Good day to you all."

She held open the office door, and the three left, Harry looking angry. After I checked on Katie, I went to my office to think.

If Draco was with Minnie today, how did he give the necklace to Katie? Who was the necklace for? Why did Voldemort want Draco to give it to a student? A random student too. I had no idea why Katie, of all people, would be a part of this. With what Leanne said, I was sure Katie was Imperioused before she left the bathroom. I groaned as I tried to think. I knew Draco wouldn't tell me the truth, so there was no point asking. 

I flopped into my chair and watched the snow drift gently into the grounds.