ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅʀᴀᴛᴛᴇᴅ ʟɪʟᴀ ʜᴏʟᴍᴇꜱ || ᴅʀᴀᴄᴏ ᴍᴀʟꜰᴏʏ x ᴏᴄ || ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ 1-3

identity crisis

Harry and Hermione had a slew of questions for me the next morning. Hermione wasn't supposed to overhear, but she had her way of eavesdropping inconspicuously. That is, until I'd mentioned sneaking out with Parvati. Then, she'd dropped her spoon with a loud clang in surprise.

"What were you doing with Parvati when Colin got attacked?" Harry asked.

"Why were you with Parvati?!" Hermione cried.

"You heard the voice again?" He said over her.

"Parvati, of all people?!" Hermione scoffed, undeterred.

"You think it attacks with it's eyes?"

"What do you mean you snuck out?!"

"Did Dumbledore say anything else?"

"And Dumbledore found you?!"

I could feel a migraine beginning to form. A few seats away, Parvati peacefully ate her breakfast, her hair in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. She smiled at me and I looked at her enviously, waving back.

"Parvati was there too," I said to Harry. "You could ask her y'know. She's been dying to talk to you—"

"You're the one with the dreams and the only other person that could hear the voice," Harry countered. "It seems that everything is centered around you for once."

I imagined Harry just wanted a reason not to talk to Parvati, but I didn't voice this aloud.

"Yeah, I'd also like to know why that is," I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to Dumbledore at some point. Hopefully he'll have some answers. Then again, I wasn't the one with a rogue Bludger after me."

Harry laughed drily. "Well, I've found the reason for that."

"Really?" Ron perked up, finally inserting himself into the conversation after calmly inhaling his breakfast. "Malfoy admitted it?"

"Not Malfoy," Harry shook his head. "Dobby."

"Dobby?!" Ron and I said, though I added, "who the hell is Dobby?"

Harry explained his interactions with the house elf, and I found this to be even more curious. Why was Harry in danger if the monster only went after Muggle born students? Why was Dobby so attached to Harry? Whose elf was he?

"What was this about a possible defense?" Hermione asked. Once she'd stopped being angry that I snuck out with Parvati (instead of her, which was the real reason she was upset I assumed), she began to actually absorb my explanation.

"Malfoy had circled a passage from the Gorgons." I said.  "I thought that maybe if you didn't look directly into it's eyes, then you wouldn't be affected. But if Colin was looking through his camera, then that idea doesn't work."

"It could still be something," Hermione reassured me. "Don't discount it. If we find out Malfoy isn't the Heir, let's share that with the other Muggle born students. At least until we can figure out who the Heir could be."

I'd almost entirely forgotten about our plan to interrogate Malfoy, but on Friday morning, before our next double Potions block, we discussed our diversion plan.

"Thanks to Dean, we already have one," I explained. I pulled the firework out that Dean had given me the day before. "One of you two will throw it into Malfoy and I's cauldron. Then, Hermione can sneak into the supply closet while Snape is preoccupied with the mess. We're dealing with Swelling Solution — it'll be nasty."

Harry and Ron looked to each other nervously.

"I'll do it," Harry said finally.

Midway through Potions, I gave Dean the thumbs up. He nodded back at me. I'd have to keep Malfoy distracted.