To Incite Paranoia
The next few weeks past without consequence, mostly due to the fact that Draco and Harry rarely saw each other outside of Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. Harry and Hermione seemed to have come to a silent agreement not to speak of Ginny again until they found out more from Madam Pomfrey and instead concentrated all of their energy on efforts to get Ron to think about something else.
After a few shouting arguments, Draco and Hermione finally resorted to silent fuming as they were forced to share a common room. Both just accepted it as an unfortunate consequence to their good grades.
As the days went by, Draco found himself becoming more obsessed with the diary. He started carrying it everywhere with him, taking it out whenever he had time to himself and turning it over in his hands, as though it were a normal book that he longed to read. He almost opened it on several occasions, but one thought of his father�s words was enough to stop him every time. He would put the diary back away, telling himself that it would surely just be for one more day. Just one more day, and he would receive instruction.
~~~~~~~~~~
Draco got out of bed and dressed quickly, all the time watching the window to see if there was an owl out there. Just like always though, the sky was empty of anything other than clouds. He grabbed his bag off the end of his bed, double-checking to make sure the diary was in it, and went out into the common room.
�Morning,� Granger said tonelessly, not even looking up from the book she was reading.
�Morning,� Draco replied coldly. This exchange was not so much a greeting as an acknowledgement of each other�s presence.
�What�s your first class?� she asked conversationally.
Draco growled slightly under his breath as he answered. �Care of Magical Creatures.� She�d taken to asking him that same question everyday since the start of that week.
�Oh yeah, me too,� she muttered, closing her book and stuffing it into her bag. �See you then.� She stood and walked to the portrait, stepping out into the hallway. As soon as she was out there, Draco heard a muffled voice outside the room.
�Hermione,� Potter�s voice gasped, �I talked to Madam Pomfrey! She said we can see Ginny now!�
Draco stepped out of the portrait that moment and Potter stopped talking, glaring at him as though everything that went wrong in his life was his fault. Draco wiggled his eyebrows at him and smirked as he turned around on his heel and walked off towards the Great Hall. He didn�t care about their trivial conversations anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~
Harry glared at Malfoy�s retreating back, silently fuming. He wanted to start a fight, but he knew he couldn�t. All it would get him would be a lecture from Hermione and more detentions than he could count.
�So,� Hermione said once Malfoy was out of hearing range, �have you told Ron yet?�
�Yeah,� Harry said, nodding, �he�s already gone to the hospital wing. I haven�t been there yet, I decided to come get you first.�
And so they walked to the hospital wing, talking excitedly as they went. When they got there however, they both fell silent. The hospital wing was empty except for one bed to their right, where Ron was kneeling, holding Ginny�s limp hand.
�Harry?� Hermione said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Harry shook his head. �I don�t know what I expected,� he whispered. �I just thought�I mean, Madam Pomfrey said we could see her. I thought��
�That she would be able to see us too,� Hermione finished for him, nodding. They went to sit in chairs beside the bed on the opposite side from Ron. At first, they didn�t think he noticed them, but then he spoke.
�Madam Pomfrey just did a sedation spell,� he said. His eyes, red and bloodshot as they were, remained unblinkingly on Ginny�s face. �That�s why she�s so calm now. Ten minutes ago she was shaking really badly, muttering something, I couldn�t quite tell what.�
Harry reached out to touch Ginny�s arm and gasped. Her skin was cold as ice, just as, he reminded himself gravely, it had been when she�d been in the Chamber of Secrets, barely clinging to life. He pulled his arm back quickly, bowing his head slightly and closing his eyes. He felt Hermione�s hand on his arm.
�I�ll tell Hagrid you two are here,� she said.
Harry opened his eyes and smiled weakly. �Thanks,� he said gratefully.
Hermione shook her head. �Don�t thank me. Take as much time as you need.� She stood and walked away, wiping her eyes.
Harry forced himself to look at Ginny, trying not to notice how pale she was. The sedation spell seemed to be doing its job, as she didn�t even seem to notice Ron�s hand on hers. The steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed was the only indication that she was still alive.
�Madam Pomfrey told me,� Ron said suddenly, making Harry jump. �About the dementors, I mean. Why this happened to her.�
Harry didn�t know what to say, so he just nodded.
�We saved her from him last time,� Ron said. �You saved her. I just don�t understand why this time is any different.�
�Ron,� Harry said, �I�m sorry.
Ron shook his head, finally turning away from Ginny to look at him. �No, don�t be. It�s not your fault. Hell, if it wasn�t for you, she wouldn�t even be here right now.�
Harry gave a painful smile. �Don�t worry, she�ll be all right. She�s grown up a lot since then. She�s stronger. Maybe she�ll be able to defeat him on her own this time.�
Ron turned his eyes back to Ginny and sighed heavily. �Yes, she has grown up, but so have I. Back then, I believed that good would always win out, but now, after seeing so much death, I know better. I know not to get my hopes up.� His tone had finality to it, and Harry knew not to press the issue further. Besides, how could he argue against something that he himself was beginning to believe?
~~~~~~~~~~
During breakfast, Draco barely picked at the food on his plate, his mind forever on the diary that was just a few feet away, in his schoolbag, which he�d dropped on the floor beside him. When the owls flew in with the post, Draco looked up, but there were no letter for him, not even the usual notes from his mother. He looked down at his plate, wrinkled his nose, and pushed it away.
�Drakie, you have to eat something,� Pansy said from where she sat next to him, dragging the plate back. �Quidditch practice starts tonight and you�ll need your strength.�
Draco growled under his breath, but picked up his fork and ate some eggs off his plate. Unfortunately, they�d been sitting there so long that they�d long since gotten cold. He grimaced and dropped his fork again, standing up to leave.
�Wait for me,� Pansy said, standing too. Before Draco could say anything, she picked his schoolbag up from the floor, linked arms with him, and started walking. All Draco could do was scowl and try to keep up.
�So, what do you think that oaf has in store for us today?� Pansy asked as she dragged him along.
Draco shrugged. �I bet anything he had to get rid of all those doxies after that poisoning incident last week. Can�t say Longbottom didn�t deserve it though. Too bad the hospital wing keeps its antidotes in stock.�
Ten minutes later, they were down on the Hogwarts grounds outside Hagrid�s hut, waiting for him to come out to start the Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Draco spotted Granger standing alone. He had an urge to insult her, but resisted. It�d just be a waste of time, as she didn�t really seem to be bothered by him anymore.
When Hagrid came out, Granger hurried up to talk to him immediately. Draco didn�t really care what they were saying, but he moved into hearing range out of habit.
�Hello 'Ermione. Wher's 'Arry an' Ron?"
�They�re visiting Ginny in the hospital wing.�
�Oh yeh, I 'eard 'bout tha'. Tell meh, How've they been doin'?"
�Harry�s doing all right. I don�t know about Ron though. I thought he might be better after seeing her, but he still hasn�t spoken to me.�
�Well, don' yeh be worryin' bout that 'Ermione. Alrigh' ev'ryone,� Hagrid turned to the rest of the class, clapping his hands to get their attention, �today we'll be revis'tin the thestrals. They been a tad restless lately, so, I decided, they migh' be needin some comp'ny." He went back behind his hut briefly and came back with two dead chickens clutched in his massive fists. �...Follow meh.� He started off toward the Forbidden Forest and was soon followed by the students, some rather reluctantly.
Draco hesitated at the edge of the forest. He had some very bad memories of his first visit to it in his first year. Back then he had never been to a Death Eaters� meeting before, so the sight of a cloaked figure drinking the blood of a dead unicorn had been enough to scare him out of his wits. But now he knew that there were much worse things; he�d seen much worse things. This was child�s play compared to what he�d been forced to witness over the years since.
�Are you all right?� Pansy asked anxiously.
Draco snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. �Fine.� They walked into the forest with the other students.
They went to a part of the forest that they�d visited a couple times the year before and once in their fifth year. All of the students looked around eagerly as Hagrid called for the thestrals, throwing the chickens on the ground in front of him as an offering.
Draco peered into the trees in the direction that Hagrid was facing and his blood ran cold. He saw what looked like a giant shadow moving around the forest. Then, it came into view and Draco knew immediately what it was. What looked like a coal black horse with huge leathery wings came out from the trees, surveying the students with a bored expression. It immediately trotted forward and seized one of the chickens in its mouth and glaring at those students nearest to it.
�Now, 'oo all can see em?" Hagrid asked, glancing around the crowd. A few people raised their hands, two Slytherins and the Gryffindor, Longbottom, who was the only one last year besides Potter who had been able to see them. Draco kept his arms firmly at his sides and saw that quite a few others in Slytherin were following suit, even though it was obvious that they could see them.
�Okay, well then,� Hagrid said, obviously surprised that so many more people could see them now. �those 'oo can see them can come closer if ya'd like, but I mus' ask the res' of ya'll to keep yeh distance. Thestrals can be a bit tempermantal if one of yeh acciden'ly runs int'a them. Yeh can talk the res' o' class time if yeh'd like." He strode forward and reached out a hand toward the thestral, which snapped at him and bent to eat the second chicken. Nobody else wanted to approach the thestrals; so instead, they broke off into groups and started talking in whispers.
�Could you see guys see them?� Pansy asked in a whisper as Crabbe and Goyle joined them. Crabbe and Goyle shook their heads in unison and all eyes were suddenly on Draco, waiting for his answer.
��Course not,� Draco lied.
�Me either,� Pansy said, pouting. �I can�t believe Nott could see them. I wonder who he saw die. Where are you going?�
Draco, who had started away from the group, now turned back and shrugged. �I just need some time to think,� he said and went to a part of the clearing where there were no other people. He leaned against a tree and closed his eyes.
He had seen the thestrals for the first time, knowing perfectly well that he would. When he�d seen Theodore Nott and Millicent Bulstrode raise their hands, he�d had to resist the urge to walk over and smack them both upside the head. They had all been told not to draw attention to themselves, and those two would have been in it deep if they had been asked why they could see the thestrals.
For the reason they could see them, was the same as Draco�s reason. They had all been at the same Death Eaters� gathering just two months previously. They had seen the Dark Lord torture and kill a follower who had betrayed him. The three of them had been initiated as Death Eaters the same day and had the Dark Mark burned into their arms to serve as a reminder that they had signed a contract, binding them to a lifetime of service until the very end.
�You saw them.� Draco heard the voice and opened his eyes to see Granger standing a few feet away, her arms folded. After a few moments of silence, he smirked.
�So what if I did?� he asked coldly.
�You lied,� she said, her voice emotionless, �and I want to know why.�
�Well, you don�t always get what you want,� Draco replied, looking down at the ground as he spoke.
Granger lowered her voice to a deadly whisper after that, but Draco could hear every word. �Oh, you would be surprised. I know you�re up to something. I�ll be watching you, Draco.� She turned and walked off into the forest. Draco soon lost sight of her in the trees. He was in shock for a moment, but then he shook his head.
He knew that she must have been talking about the diary. What else could it be? But he was sure she didn�t know anything. How could she, when he didn�t even know what it was?
~~~~~~~~~~
Lucius Malfoy leaned against a tree trunk, examining his nails in a bored sort of fashion. Impersonating the Granger girl had been an easy task, as his potions skills were unmatched, even by Severus Snape. Even getting her away from her class had been easy, as she had already been standing by the edge of the forest by herself.
Lucius picked up his cloak and bent to examine the Mudblood, unconscious at his feet. She wouldn�t wake up for hours, and by that time, he would be long gone. He waved his wand over the girl, saying a complicated charm that would only partially modify her memory. Then, he withdrew a knife from his robes and slashed her arms, legs, and face, not enough so that she would bleed to death, only to make it look as though some creature in the forest had attacked her.
Lucius draped his cloak over his shoulders and started off through the forest, away from the school. His job was done. He�d made sure that the boy would be cautious. After all, the time had now come for the Dark Lord�s plan to go into effect, and there could be no mistakes.
~~~~~~~~~~
Draco followed the other students out of the forest after the lesson was over. He refused to speak to Pansy, even though she seemed to be literally attached to his arm. His mind was still on what Granger had said in the forest. He wondered if she perhaps knew even more than he did.
�'Old up,� Hagrid yelled at the students as they were leaving. �Where�s 'Ermione?"
Everyone looked around the crowd, obviously having not even noticed that Granger was gone. A few Slytherins were whispering to each other and stifling their laughter.
�Go t' yeh nex' classes." Hagrid said, going into his hut. He came out a moment later carrying a crossbow and started toward the forest.
Pansy giggled and grabbed Draco�s arm, pulling him along with her as she started up toward the school. �I hope he doesn�t find her,� she said under her breath as they walked.
Draco smirked. �Oh, I hope he does. I just hope the werewolves find her first.�
~~~~~~~~~~
Harry heard a door slam and looked up immediately. �Hagrid!� he said in surprise as Hagrid came in, carrying what looked like a bundle of robes in his arms. �What are you doing here?�
Hagrid went over to the bed nearest to them and lowered what he was holding onto the bed. Harry saw now that what he�d mistaken for robes was actually Hermione. �'Ermione was attacked" Hagrid said as Madam Pomfrey came out of her office to see who was there.
�Oh my,� she said, rushing over. �What happened to her, Hagrid?�
�Don' know,� Hagrid said, shaking his head. �I noticed she was gone after teh lesson was over, I wen' back in teh fores' and foun' 'er jus' off the path."
�All right, I�ll see what I can do,� Madam Pomfrey said, rolling up her sleeves.
�Righ�, well,� Hagrid said, �I better beh gettin back, I 'ave a class." He nodded to Harry and Ron and left the room.
Harry had one sight of Hermione�s torn robes and the bleeding cuts that covered her face and arms before Madam Pomfrey drew the curtains around her bed. Ten minutes later, she pulled the curtains back again, shaking her head.
�I suppose you two will want to visit with her,� she said, putting her wand back in her pocket and cracking her knuckles. �She�s awake, but a little confused. Don�t bother her for too many details. I need to go send a message to the headmaster about this.� She went to her office and shut the door.
Harry and Ron glanced at each other briefly before standing and going to sit beside Hermione�s bed. She blinked up at them as though trying to remember who they were.
�Hello Harry�Ron,� she said finally, smiling slightly.
�Are you all right?� Ron asked, grabbing her hand to get her attention as she seemed fascinated by the jug of water on the table.
Hermione turned to him, looking slightly confused for a moment before answering. �To tell ya the truth, I feel like somebody took a swing at my head with a sledgehammer.� She looked down at her arm curiously. �I could�ve sworn I was bleeding a few minutes ago.�
�Yeah, Madam Pomfrey healed you,� Harry said. �So, what happened?�
�I don�t know,� Hermione said dismissively as she continued to blink at Ron.
�You mean you can�t remember?�
Hermione turned her face toward the ceiling and closed her eyes, speaking hesitantly. �I was in the forest�Hagrid was talking�something about thestrals�people raised their hands and�� Her eyes opened and she shook her head, �then everything just went dark.�
�So�you don�t know what attacked you?�
�No,� Hermione shook her head again, �Madam Pomfrey said she didn�t know either, that she�d never seen anything like this.�
�So you don�t remember anything?� Ron asked. �Anything at all?�
Hermione was silent for a few minutes, making both Harry and Ron think that maybe they�d asked too many questions. Just as they were getting up to go, however, Hermione suddenly reached out and grabbed Harry�s arm.
�I remember�I saw�someone��
�Who?� Harry asked. �Who did you see?�
�I saw�� she hesitated, squinting her eyes as though trying to recall a memory just out of her grasp, ��myself.�
�What do you mean?� Ron asked, but Hermione seemed to be done talking. She turned over onto her side so that she was facing away from them. He looked over at Harry, who shrugged. He didn�t know what she meant either. They both decided not to bother her anymore and went to sit by Ginny again.
�What do you think happened?� Harry asked.
�I don�t know,� Ron admitted, shaking his head. �Do you think a creature attacked her?�
Harry shrugged. �Maybe, but it doesn�t explain why she can�t remember it. And besides, what creature could do that? Even when Malfoy got kicked by Buckbeak, he didn�t get hurt that much.�
Ron�s head snapped up at the mention of Malfoy�s name. �You think he had something to do with this?�
Harry considered this for a moment, but then reluctantly shook his head. �I don�t even think he would stoop to something this low. Besides, it still wouldn�t explain why she couldn�t remember what happened.�
�Still,� Ron said, �it would be nice if we could blame it on him.�
�Yeah,� Harry agreed and that was the end of the discussion. They both turned their attention back to Ginny, though in Harry�s mind, the question remained. What had happened in the forest to not only land Hermione in the hospital wing, but to make her forget why she was even there?
________________________________________________________
Author's note: I'd like to first take this opportunity to thank Rani for translating Hagrid's lines! I couldn't have done it without you! I know this chapter was about half as long as the first 2, but this is really just a transistion into the next part of the story. And, for those of you who've read Order of the Phoenix, I know I messed up with the thestrals. Let's just assume that Draco wasn't paying attention that first day when he rode in the "horseless" carriage up to the school.
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