His love for Potions I ✔

Chapter 5: Dragons and Invisibly Cloaks

In the rush to revise for exams, and because Professor Snape was being even more dire than usual, Harry found himself in the library with Hermione, Ron, and Neville instead of in the Potions classroom or Fred and George's secret lair. By mutual consent, after the first time Neville failed an exam because they'd been distracting him with Philosopher's Stone research they'd started leaving him out of it, but he was very much included in revising. He was better than both Ron and Harry at History of Magic and Herbology, and Harry was better than Ron and Neville at Potions and Defense. None of them were better than Hermione at anything, of course, and Ron edged out Harry and Neville at Transfiguration. Which is where they encountered Hagrid, looking up dragons.

A few speaking looks between Harry, Ron, and Hermione left Hermione to study with Neville and Harry and Ron to go investigate, on the theory that that was incredibly suspicious.

It was only once they got back to Hermione to discuss it that she pointed out that Hagrid lived in a wooden house, and then it seemed a little less exciting.

Still really exciting, but a little less exciting.

And then Malfoy would overhear them talking about it, before the hatching. So he could witness it, and then he kept watching Harry, and Harry would really prefer to scream now and worry about people thinking he was mad later. And then Ron was bitten and Malfoy had the letter and at that point Harry decided that there was no point panicking because things definitely were just going to be awful, so there was no reason worrying about it. It's not like he didn't have experience with awful, after all.

Which is why it was rather strange, while Harry was waiting anxiously for Peeves to clear the Great Hall so they could go outside to fetch Norbert for Charlie, for Malfoy to sit down next to him and say, matter-of-factly, "Potter, you idiot, you can't do this. You'll be expelled."

"Keep your voice down," Harry hissed at him.

"Don't tell me what to do, Potter," Malfoy said, smiling that slow, lizard-like smile of his.

"...I'd have thought you'd be perfectly happy with us being expelled, Malfoy."

"If you're expelled, I can't humiliate you at Potions, can I? So stop being stupidly sentimental and leave him to dig his own grave."

"Some people have friends, Malfoy. Not minions or, or the right sort. Real friends."

Malfoy glanced appraisingly at Hermione, and instead of replying, said, "Don't try anything, Potter. He dug his own grave, you know."

"You can't stop us," said Hermione quietly.

"McGonagall can. Easily."

"And then we get expelled, which you don't want," whispered Harry. "So maybe you should help us."

"Harry, think about this," said Hermione worriedly.

"Look, Draco," Harry hurried on, "Aren't you supposed to like dragons or something? It's in your name, even. You're probably a dragon animagus."

This argument did not appear to compel Draco to change his mind one whit, but he didn't argue back immediately, eyebrows inching upwards in a way that reminded Harry unsettlingly of Snape.

"I have a way to do it," Harry said, "You know, secret, chosen one, boy-who-lived magic stuff. I'm not going to get caught."

There was a beat of silence as everyone looked at Harry, before Draco started snickering helplessly.

"That was the most pathetic lie I've ever heard," he managed inbetween giggles.

Harry turned red.

"Since you've begged for my help so nicely, I suppose I'll rescue you from yourselves. Now, what's your awful plan?"

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other uneasily. No way did they want to tell Draco Malfoy about the invisibility cloak.

"You can't curse me in the middle of the Great Hall," Draco pointed out. "Not with Peeves right there. I'm not an idiot."

"No one thinks you're an idiot," soothed Hermione. Draco gave her a look. "Just... rude," she finished weakly.

I'm rude, he mouthed to himself, and rolled his eyes.

"Where are your goons, anyway?" asked Harry.

"They're not my babysitters, Potter." A meditative pause. "Rather the opposite, really. And tonight I apparently have to babysit you, so here we go."

"We don't need your help, Malfoy."

"No, but you do need my silence. And I want to meet a dragon." He smiled, and Harry wanted to punch him in the teeth. "I have a special bond with dragons, remember?"

"Only if you promise not to talk about anything you see tonight, with anyone," Harry said. "At all."

"My word as a Malfoy," Draco said genially, as if he'd been practicing it all his life.

"Right."

Which is how they ended up taking Draco with them under the invisibility cloak to rescue the dragon, and he whined. The whole way. At least Charlie's friends were wonderful. So basically it was a lovely night, at least until they tumbled down the stairs and realized two things: they'd left the invisibility cloak behind, and Draco bloody Malfoy was nowhere to be seen.

50 points from Gryffindor each, and Draco Malfoy had Harry's cloak. Norbert had better grow up to lay golden eggs or something.

#

In the morning, over breakfast, Malfoy ambled over and offered Harry a bundled up black cloak.

"You left this behind, I think," he said, smiling like a lizard at the House Points in their giant hourglasses. All the Gryffindors at the table were giving Harry a look of absolute death. Harry hunched his shoulders, and grabbed his cloak back, shooting Malfoy an uncertain look.

"You weren't going to try to keep it?"

"Don't be absurd, Potter. As if I'd take something that was obviously a family heirloom."

Harry eyed him.

"When you knew it was me and I'd get caught, anyway," Draco added. "I'm not a saint."

Harry nodded agreeably at this.

"Get lost, Malfoy."

"Congratulations on tanking Gryffindor's chances at the House Cup, Potter," Draco added more loudly. "Couldn't have done it better myself."

Except, of course, he had done it, the rotter, Harry thought as he moved a corner of the black cloak and saw shining silver cloth. By helping, so Harry wasn't even sure he could complain about it.

Harry's year did not improve from there.