Aevumiter

33: Promise

The next day when Harry was feeling better, Sirius and Draco recruited him to help in the finding of the dark objects. Harry walked through the rooms, using his magic to knock the dark magic off the shelves. 

"Do you know what any of these things do?" Draco asked.

"I can't tell. They just feel vile." Harry said. "I don't know if all of these are cursed or what..."

"Well, I'm not attached to anything." Sirius said. "I just want the dark stuff gone first. Safety and all that..."

"You. Safety?" Harry asked.

"I know, it's a hilarious concept." Sirius said.

"It is." Harry said. He winced.

"Is the headache back?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to take a break from the dark object search." Harry said. 

"Thank you for the help." Sirius said. "That would have taken ages."

"Just be careful putting it all away, please." Harry said.

"We will." Draco assured him.

 Harry went to lie down and wait out the headache. When Sirius was sure he was out of earshot, he turned to Draco. 

"Come on, help me find something." Sirius led Draco to a room that was just stuffed full of... Stuff.

"What are we looking for?" Draco asked.

"A gramophone." Sirius grinned. "I thought it might be a good surprise. Help with the upcoming Christmas cheer."

Draco smiled. "I think I can agree with that. It would be a nice surprise."

Draco and Sirius shuffled box after box around, and climbed over some furniture, and other such precarious measures as they looked. They found a box of candles and set it aside. 

"Oh! Look, there. Can you see? Is that it?" Sirius pointed.

Draco stood with one foot on the back of a chair, and braced his weight against a wall. "Yes, that's it." Draco frowned. "Now how to get to it?"

~~~

"Boys, you've got mail." Remus said when he returned home. "Quite a bit, apparently."

"From who?" Draco asked, reaching for the bundle of papers in Remus' hands.

"Professors who seem to think you'll be doing work..." Remus said.

Harry snorted. Draco smirked.

"And I've got a couple letters." Remus said, but handed them a copy of the newest Prophet. "But I think you should look at this first."

HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED IS BACK

Harry saw the title and started laughing. 

"Well. Sirius, look at this." Draco said, and held it out to him. "I think I know why everyone was running around yesterday morning."

"Oh wow." Sirius said. "They finally believe you, Harry. All it took was an attack on the Ministry. At the Ministry."

"Funny how that works." Remus said.

"So, we're not doing that homework, are we?" Harry asked Draco. 

"I won't be unless I get really bored." Draco said. "I've passed my NEWTS."

"That is fair." Remus said. 

"I wouldn't have done the homework anyway." Sirius said.

"No, really? I'd have never guessed." Remus said.