The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|94| Broken Nose

Harry seemed to want to spend our last week of our holiday talking about what Malfoy could possibly be doing in Borgin and Burke's.

"Maybe he's broken his Hand of Glory," said Ron vaguely, as he attempted to straighten his broomstick's bent tail twigs. "Remember that shriveled-up arm Malfoy had?"

"But what about when he said, 'Don't forget to keep that one safe'?" asked Harry for the umpteenth time. "That sounded to me like Borgin's got another one of the broken objects, and Malfoy wants both."

"You reckon?" said Ron, now trying to scrape some dirt off his broom handle.

"Yeah, I do," said Harry. When neither Ron nor Hermione answered, he said, "Malfoy's father's in Azkaban. Don't you think Malfoy'd like revenge?"

"What could he do about it?" I added.

"That's my point, I don't know!" said Harry, frustrated. "But he's up to something and I think we should take it seriously. His father's a Death Eater and —"

Harry broke off, his eyes fixed on the window behind Hermione, his mouth open.

"Harry?" said Hermione in an anxious voice. "What's wrong?"

"He's a Death Eater," said Harry slowly. "He's replaced his father as a Death Eater!"

"It seems very unlikely, Harry," said Hermione in a repressive sort of voice. "What makes you think —?"

"In Madam Malkin's. She didn't touch him, but he yelled and jerked his arm away from her when she went to roll up his sleeve. It was his left arm. He's been branded with the Dark Mark."

"Well..." said Ron, sounding thoroughly unconvinced.

"I think he just wanted to get out of there, Harry," said Hermione.

"He showed Borgin something we couldn't see," Harry pressed on stubbornly. "Something that seriously scared Borgin. It was the Mark, I know it— he was showing Borgin who he was dealing with, you saw how seriously Borgin took him!"

"It's a possibility, but he's sixteen," I said.

The next day at King's Cross, Lupin, Tonks, and Moody waited for us outside the platform. Although Mrs. Weasley's nerves were in a tizzy, she allowed us a quick 'hi' and 'bye' to them before ushering us across the platform. Harry and I went in first, then the Weasleys, and then Hermione. Harry motioned to us to follow him up the platform, looking for an empty compartment.

"We can't, Harry," said Hermione, looking apologetic. "Ron and I've got to go to the prefects' carriage first and then patrol the corridors for a bit."

"Oh yeah, I forgot," said Harry.

"You'd better get straight on the train, all of you, you've only got a few minutes to go," said Mrs. Weasley, consulting her watch. "Well, have a lovely term, Ron."

"Mr. Weasley, can I have a quick word?" said Harry, having me search the train myself.

Just as the train started to move, Harry found me in a cabin with Neville and Luna.

"Harry," I started once he lugged his trunk under his seat and threw himself next to Neville, "did you notice anyone staring at you as you walked by?"

"Not more than usual, why?" he admitted.

"People were staring at me, more than usual, when I was looking for a cabin," I rubbed my arm awkwardly.

"Huh, me too," Neville gasped. "I reckon it's because we were with Harry at the Ministry last term!"

Luna, Neville, and Harry continued to talk about starting up D.A. Meetings again even though Umbridge was gone when the door slid open revealing one of the four-year girls who had been giggling outside our cabin. A bold-looking girl with large dark eyes, a prominent chin, and long black hair pushed her way through the door.