Before the Dawn | George Weasley

35

I received a letter from Remus about a week later that read simply:

Progress?

-R

I read and reread the single word, a sinking feeling in my chest. I needed to get a move on.

I penned a response, equally as simple:

Working on it.

-M

And sent it with Thea to Grimmauld Place, hoping I hadn't let Remus down by failing to get through to Draco over the last few months.

Then, one day, it happened.

I was sitting in the Slytherin common room, helping Annie and a couple of her fellow third-years with their latest Charms lesson, when Draco sat heavily in the chair across from me. I looked up curiously. He gave the younger students a pointed look, and Annie raised her eyebrows at me.

"Er, can you give us a moment?" I glanced between the younger students. "I'll come find you in a bit and we can finish up."

They nodded and gathered their books, leaving me alone with Draco.

"They're up to something." The words seemed to burst from him once they'd gone, though he kept his voice low.

"Who are?" I asked mildly.

"Potter, that Mudblood Granger, those Weasley blood traitors, the whole lot."

I set my book aside, frowning slightly. "What do you mean?"

Draco's lip curled. "I've seen them sneaking around. They're up to something, something they're hiding from Umbridge. I'm going to find out what it is and have them all expelled."

"Sneaking around?" I asked. "How so?"

"After hours," Draco spat. "I think they're using the Room of Requirement to meet."

It took everything in my power not to react. "The Room of Requirement? What's that?"

"It's a storage room of sorts, full of all kinds of nonsense. But you can't always reach it, and if it's being used, you're locked out." Draco's eyes narrowed. "And I've been locked out a lot, recently."

"What are you using it for?" I asked nonchalantly, looking back down at my textbook.

"There's something in there that interests me," Draco said, his voice guarded. Then he seemed to remember something. "You've heard of it! Remember when Montague went missing a couple years ago?"

I did remember—Graham had been found wandering the streets of Diagon Alley, dazed but otherwise unharmed. He could never remember what had happened to him. 

"Yes, I remember."

"He got there because those two Weasels shoved him into this cabinet of sorts," Draco said pointedly.

I stared at him. "So you're saying the cabinet can transport you places?"

"Something like that," Draco said. "The point is, Potter and his friends are up to something, and I'm going to find out what it is."

"Well, let me know if you need any help." I gave Draco a wry smile. "Merlin knows I want to see that lot face the wrath of Umbridge."

Draco returned my smile. "Oh, they will."