Once and for All

Chapter 22

(The next day)
       In a flash of green flames, Harry was back at the Ministry, with Hermione and Ron waiting for him. Hermione looked slightly anxious, while Ron yawned and looked slightly bored. To Harry's surprise, the hallways were nearly empty.
        "Where are the others?" He asked, confused.
          "Ginny and Luna should be on their way-I can only hope the boys are, too," Hermione fretted. "They better hurry though-"
           "Hermione, they've got five minutes," Ron said, exasperated. "Give them a break, alright?"
           "Well, still if they don't get here soon-"
          No sooner had the words left her mouth then there was a series of loud cracks next to them, and Ginny and Luna appeared.
          "What took you so long?" Hermione demanded, sounding uncannily like Professor McGonagall.
          "Practice went late," Ginny said apologetically. "And Luna lost track of time editing another article."
           Soon Neville, Dean, and Seamus stumbled it of the fireplace, and Hermione repeated her question. As Neville answered, Harry noticed Dean glance at Ginny, who fixed her determined gaze on Neville. Harry caught his eye accidentally, but didn't break his stare, forcing Dean to look away instead. A surge of triumph went through him, and for a second he was so preoccupied with his small victory that he didn't hear Hermione talking to him.
      "Harry James Potter," she finally said loudly, and Harry jerked his gaze to her exasperated gaze. "We have two minutes."
       "Right," He refocused on the purpose of their arrival. "Whiffler's office is this way, but just, uh, stand outside for a minute while I talk to him. He doesn't take well to strangers."
      "Just take us there before she jinxes you," Ginny said, causing a few chuckles and Hermione to mutter, "Watch me," under her breath.
        Harry quickly moved to the front. "Okay, Whiffler's office is this way."
                               ****
       Once they reached it,  Harry was surprised to hear voices coming from within. Granted, Whiffler did talk to himself often, but he heard a different voice replying. Hastily, he motioned his friends to stay as he approached the door, which was strangely left slightly open.
       "...didn't really think it would work, did you, boy?" Whiffler seemed to growl. "Snooping around in my office-that's a trespassing and classified possession violation."
       "I was retrieving your bills," a voice replied stiffly, and Harry's eyes widened as he recognized it. Draco. What was he doing here? "You said they would be here-"
      "-on my desk," Whiffler finished. "And yet there you were, snooping around in my loft when they were right here."
     "Ah, forgive me for not spotting it," Draco said sarcastically. "I mean, it's not like that desk is unorganized or anything-"
    "You were snooping," he confirmed. "A sneak and a bad liar. Usually I'd report you for this-" suddenly his voice dropped low and menacing. "-but like you, I've figured out the rules don't work on crooks. So I've made my own."
      Draco's breathing quickened, and when his voice came out choked. "You're out of line, Whiffler."
     "Am I?" He growled. "Don't pretend I don't see what you're doing. Whatever you're up to, I'll find out." Draco let out another choked gasp of protest, and Harry realized with a start that it sounded like he was choking Draco. "I've heard whispers of what your kind are planning to do. You're targeting DA supporters, and that Weasley girl." At this, Harry's heart sped up. How the heck did Whiffler know about Draco's warning? Unless Draco had warned Whiffler too...but still, why? What possible motive could Draco have to help him?
Intrigued, he leaned in closer. "-But if you thought you could fool this old man, you're wrong. You won't be able to slither your way out of this one."
Finally, Harry couldn't help it and pushed the door open to see the sight before him. To his surprise, Whiffler's wand was pushed against Draco's throat, trapping him against a wall. At the sight of Harry, Whiffler lowered his wand. "Ah, there you are, Harry. Running a bit late, aren't you?"
"Probably rounding up his Mudblood friends," Draco scoffed, earning another jerk of the wand into his throat. Despite his tone, Harry could tell from the way his eyes darted that he was truly terrified.
"We were just waiting until you were finished. You sounded busy," Harry replied slowly, eyeing Draco, who for some reason kept glancing between Harry and Whiffler with a strange expression.
"I think our little chat's done," Whiffler said, slapping Draco a little too hard on the back. "Remember what I said, alright?"
Draco nodded, eyeing him skeptically. "Your bills are still due." From his tone, Harry suspected he was talking about more than money.
"Yes, but they aren't in that loft," he replied evenly. "Now get out of here, before I deform that miserable face of yours further."
Draco moved quickly to the door, and Harry followed to grab his friends. As the door closed behind them, Harry turned and stopped Draco from walking in with his hand. "Why did you tell him about Ginny?" He demanded.
"I know him better than you think, Potter," Draco said evenly. "And not in a good way."
So Whiffler must have interrogated Draco for information then, or had some sort of blackmail. But that didn't explain how Draco "knew" him. "What were you looking for in his office?"
At that moment he heard footsteps, and suddenly Ron, Hermione, and Ginny appeared in front of him, bewildered. "What's going on?" Ginny asked skeptically, a hint of warning in her voice. Her hand went to her wand.
Draco's eyes followed her movement, finally saying, "I warned you once, Potter. I can't do it again."
      "We're not letting Bluffer get away," Harry said stubbornly. "We're not hiding, and we're not scared."
       Draco's eyes traveled over the group before finally saying, "You should be."
        Harry let his arm fall and began walking to the door, his friends following him. After Draco had walked out or earshot, Harry turned to the others. "Let's get this over with."
       They nodded, and one by one entered the room. Harry went last, and Ginny paused before going in and grabbed his hand, a subtle gesture that showed that him she was scared too, Squeezing hers back, he walked in with her to join the others. "Sorry about that-" Whiffler started to apologize when Harry noticed Seamus' face, which had turned as white as a ghost.
      "What's the matter?" Harry whispered, confused.
     "That voice," he said slowly in a low voice. ""I heard that voice-"
      "Is something the matter?" Whiffler asked, and Seamus' head snapped back to him. Harry noticed Seamus, whose back was to the door, was fumbling for the doorknob.
       "You good, mate?" Ron asked, concerned.
      "You were there," Seamus accused, ignoring the question as he stared at Whiffler. "At the house. I heard your voice talking to Bluffer. You're one of them." His voice rose, more out of hysteria than anything else. "I'm not telling you anything, you hear?!"
     Suddenly Harry heard a click of a lock, and immediately whipped out his wand only to have it soar over to Whiffler, along with everyone else's. "Good memory," Whiffler said, the wands circling and disappearing into the loft above him. "Too bad you didn't put it to use earlier."
         "I'm not telling you anything!" Seamus's shouted, sounding more hysterical by the moment.
        "Of course not," Whiffler said evenly in a voice of deathly calm. To Harry's horror, he turned to Ginny, "But she will."