𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇 | 𝐓𝐇𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 1

Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen-Azkaban

Harry watched helplessly as the Aurors manhandled Draco out of Dumbledore's office. He looked at the old wizard hoping he would say something, hold them back, but Dumbledore said nothing. "You can't do this," said Harry. "Draco hasn't done anything."

But it was as if he were invisible. He looked down at himself. No, he wasn't wearing his invisibility cloak. He cast a quick glance at McGonagall and tore out of the room. He ran after them, grabbed Tonks by the arm, and whirled her around. "Tonks! What's going on?"

She looked down at his hand on her and Harry let her go. "Look Harry. Best stay out of this. It looks like Draco isn't who you thought he was."

"No! Draco. Tell them!"

Draco raised sorrowful eyes to Harry. "They won't believe me, Harry. They won't ever believe me again. It's over. It was lovely, but now it's over. I should have known nothing good would ever happen to me. It's just not meant to be. I should have stayed in that ruddy tea shop."

Harry watched Draco lower his head, and Tonks and the other two Aurors turned and led him away.

Harry couldn't breathe. He fell against the wall and slid down. This was a nightmare! What could possibly have happened for Draco to lose all hope like that? What were they accusing him of? Suddenly Harry became angry. He had suffered a lot in the last nineteen years. Finally some happiness had come his way. He wasn't about to let it go without a fight. He picked himself up and marched back into Dumbledore's office.

He didn't mean to-or did he?-but he pushed McGonagall out of the way. "I demand to know what happened?" he said in a low, deadly voice to Dumbledore.

The old wizard looked at McGonagall and Sprout. "Could you leave us, please?"

Sprout and McGonagall gave Dumbledore and Harry stern looks before they complied, shutting the door behind them.

Dumbledore turned to Harry. "Before you say anything, please listen to the facts as they have been presented. Now. Draco was seen moving about the corridors at night when he had not been assigned to patrol. Death Eaters were discovered in the corridors and they apprehended a student. They knew Draco, called him 'Lord Malfoy' in allegiance to him-witnessed by this same student-who also attested that Draco told his Death Eater colleagues that he needed no help in disposing of you. It seems by Draco's own admission that he had met this same Death Eater on two separate occasions. A Portal Scarab was found in Draco's room. This was how these men entered Hogwarts. Can you give any explanations about any of these events? If you can, I should be most grateful to hear them."

Harry was dumbfounded. He simply couldn't believe it. Of course it wasn't true. But he had no idea how all these facts fit together. He shook his head. "All I know, headmaster, is that it cannot possibly be true. Draco would never try to hurt me. He couldn't."

"And why do you find that so impossible to believe? The witness said she saw Draco in the corridors not far from your rooms. Twice. What was he doing there at night?"

"What was this witness doing there? I'm assuming it's a student. What were they doing out of their rooms at night?"

"Harry."

Harry tucked his chin down and stared at his feet. "I know that Draco is innocent."

"And how do you know?"