to have & to hold (the blacks, vol. 2)

chapter 8

Draco found Hermione sitting with Ronald Weasley in a compartment not far away from where he saw Ginny and Dean Thomas.

'Can I sit here?' he asked as he entered the compartment.

Ron looked at him with disgust. He could not accept that Draco Malfoy, now Draco Black was actually on their side. He still thought of him as a spy for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name.

Hermione smiled at the blonde boy and nodded, gesturing for him to sit down on the bench opposite the one where she and Ron were sitting.

'Your Pure-blood friends were too much to deal with, Black?' Ron asked.

'If I'm not welcomed here, I think I should leave. I'm going to look for an empty compartment,' Draco said, turning around to leave.

'No,' Hermione said, making Draco stop in his tracks. 'Stay.'

Draco turned and looked at Hermione who was still smiling at him. His heart started racing as soon as he saw the curly-haired girl's smile. He put his bag on the luggage rack before sitting down.

'Have you by any chance seen Harry?' Hermione asked.

'No, I haven't seen him,' Draco lied. He hated lying, but he didn't want to lose Harry's trust, so a small white lie wasn't anything.

After a few more hours, the Hogwarts Express streams into the station. The group of three stepped into the crowded aisle, Hermione looking around for Harry.

'Where's Harry?' she wondered.

'Probably on the platform. C'mon,' Ron said.

'You two go. I think I forgot something when I left the others. I'll see you at the feast,' Draco said.

Draco hid, not wanting to be seen by Blaise and Pansy who were making to exit.

'You two go on. I want to check on something,' he heard Theo say.

Blaise and Pansy left, and Draco listened to what Theo was saying.

'Didn't mummy ever tell you it's bad manners to eavesdrop, Potter?' Theo asked. 'Petrificus Totalus! Oh, right, she was dead before you could wipe the drool off your chin,' Draco heard Theo say. 'Enjoy the ride back to London.'

As soon as Theo stepped off the train, Draco walked through the opened door and drew his wand, sending forth a blast of red light. The Invisibility Cloak slithered from Harry's body.

'You shouldn't have done that, idiot,' Draco sighed.

'Draco. How did you...?'

'Bloody hell, I knew you would do something completely idiotic. I decided to mislead Ronald and Mione and come back to make sure that you didn't get yourself killed,' Draco told Harry.

The two got off the train and walked to the gates. Harry's face was spattered with blood, his nose slightly off-centred.

'Sorry I made you miss the carriages,' Harry sighed.

'It's alright,' Draco said.

Just then Professor Flitwick rushed forth clutching a long roll of parchment bearing all students' names.

'About time! I've been looking all over for you two,' the professor said in his high-pitched voice. 'Names.'

'Professor Flitwick, you've known us for five years,' Harry protested.

'No exceptions, Potter,' the professor replied.

'Are those Aurors?' Draco asked.

'For security,' Professor Flitwick answered. 'Now your names, please.'

'Draco Sirius Black,' Draco answered.

'Harry James Black-Potter,' Harry said.

'All right, off you go,' Flitwick said, leaving the two boys.

Draco turns to Harry and inspects the damage left by Theo. 'Episkey,' he pointed his wand over Harry's noes.

Harry screamed in pain, but he felt instantly better. 'Thanks.'

'You're welcome,' Draco replied. 'Now let's head to the Grand Hall, I'm famished.'

The two boys walked to the castle and went to change into their robes. As they walk into the Grand Hall, Draco went to seat at the end of Slytherin's table while Harry walked to Ginny, Hermione, and Ron.

'Where've you been, Harry?' Hermione asked. 'And what happened to your face? And why did Draco come with you?'

'Later,' he answered. 'What've I missed?' he asked Ron.

'Sorting Hat urged us all to be brave and strong in these troubled times, easy for it to say, it's a hat, isn't it?' Ron informed Harry. 'First Years seemed to enjoy it, though,' he added. 'Wankers. Filch give you the wand outside?'

Harry nodded in answer. Ginny, with a damp napkin in hand, began to dab Harry's face, then felt suddenly awkward. Harry took it from her. 'Thanks...' he said.

Just then, the light in the Hall began to dim gently and all eyes turned to Dumbledore, standing at the top of the Hall, ashen hand raised to the enchanted ceiling, where clouds responded to his gestures and shrouded a gleaming full moon.

'What's happened to his hand?' Hermione asked.

'The very best of evenings to you!' the headmaster's voice beamed through the Hall. 'First off, please join me in welcoming the newest member of our staff, Horace Slughorn.'

Mild applause ensued. Harry clapped perfunctorily, his eyes drifting to the entrance of the Hall as a pair of Aurors station themselves just outside.

'Professor Slughorn, I'm happy to say, has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master. Meanwhile, the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts will be assumed by Professor Snape,' Dumbledore announced.

This was greeted by stunned silence. Dumbledore frowned, then attempted to generate something by clapping his hands once. A few Slytherins join in and some dim-witted First Years.

'Now, as you know, every one of you was searched upon your arrival tonight. You have a right to know why,' Dumbledore addressed the students. 'Once there was a young man who, like you, sat in this very Hall. Walked this castle's corridors. Slept beneath its roof. He seemed, to all the world, a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle.'

The Hall went utterly silent.

'Today, of course, the world knows him by another name. This is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I am reminded of a sobering fact. Each day, every hour, this very minute perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle. But in the end, their greatest weapon remains... you.'

Harry eyed Theodore Nott, slouched slowly, lazily levitating a fork with his wand as if Dumbledore were unworthy of his attention.

'Just something to keep in mind,' the headmaster said. 'Now, off to bed. Pip pip!'

'That was cheerful,' Ron said as they rose.

'C'mon, Drakie. Let's head to the Common Room,' Pansy told Draco as she walked up to him.

'Go without me,' he said. 'I have some matters to attend to,' and with that, he walked up to the Golden Trio and Ginny Weasley. 'Something is going on with Theo,' he said.

'I noticed, he was quite distracted during Dumbledore's speech,' Ginny said.

'And when Blaise said "Hello!" to us on the platform, Theo didn't even bother to say anything,' Hermione added.

'I'll try my best to figure out what is going on,' Draco said and left, making his way to the Slytherin's Common Room.