𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒

Chapter 32

Harry and Draco had just opened the door to leave and found Ron standing on the other side, his hand raised in the act of knocking.

"McGonagall is having a fit," Ron stated. "She's heading this way looking for you, Harry. I tried to cover for why you weren't in the dorm, but I'm not sure how convincing I was."

"She'll have to catch me first," Harry joked as he grabbed Draco's hand and began running. "Come on Ron, keep up," he called jovially over his shoulder.

The three boys managed to evade the head of Gryffindor house and made it to the breakfast table in good spirits. They had just sat down when Draco suddenly noticed how quiet everyone was. The blonde glanced around the table curiously observing the saddened and shocked faces around him.

"What's going on?" he questioned Hermione who was sitting across from him.

"There's been another attack on a muggleborn's family," the young witch breathed, catching the attention of the other two boys who had still been joking around, oblivious to what was going on. "It's in the paper."

These weren't the only attacks, the following day Ron received another letter from his father telling them of two more attacks, still confined to muggleborns. In the fourth attack, the actual wizard hadn't even been in the house, his family paying the ultimate price instead. All of this caused the muggleborn student's to become nervous and many floo calls went out to families from worried teens.

Arthur Weasley's letters had a bit more information in them than the Daily Prophet, though the Ministry still hadn't much to go on. The attacks were well organized and fast, leaving very little time for the Order to react and no clues. The Aurors were trying their hardest, but they couldn't figure out where or when the Death Eaters were going to strike next.

Another letter arrived Friday evening with news of two more attacks and a young wizard from Ravenclaw had to be restrained in the infirmary after he had broken down with the news that his entire family was now dead, including his five year old sister.

Over the weekend there were three more attacks, this time the Death Eaters had not only gone after the muggleborn, but also a Half-Blood family and, surprisingly, a Full-Blood family. The Daily Prophets headline on Monday morning caused the entire Great Hall to be deathly silent as Dumbledore told everyone the shocking news.

"The Minister of Magic had officially declared the Wizarding world at war," Albus stated, his eyes were flat and worried, the familiar humours twinkle gone. The Headmaster said a few more words, promising that everyone within the school would be safe and that he would give the student's families sanctuary within the old castle walls. He had then given the students the day off from classes to recoup from the shock.

Harry groaned in frustration. "What are we doing? We should be helping rather than sitting here."

The three Gryffindors and the single Slytherin were sitting in the nearly silent Gryffindor common room. A few others were there, but conversations were hushed and short lived. Suddenly, Dean Thomas stood from where he had been sitting with Colin Creevey and Ginny Weasley, approaching the foursome.

"This all started after your father was released," Dean accused, giving Draco a distrustful look. "Maybe you know something about it." The black boy had been all for forgiving the blonde, wanting to believe in Harry's judgement that the Slytherin really was trying to change. Unfortunately, fear and the insistent whispers of Colin and Ginny had made the normally friendly and cheerful boy suspicious and paranoid.

"What are you saying, Dean?" Harry questioned with a frown.

"My parents are muggles and I don't want anything happening to them. I think Malfoy here knows more than he's letting on. Maybe this good guy act is just that, an act. He was put in Slytherin for a reason," Dean intoned angrily, parroting Ginny's argument.

"He shouldn't be here," Ginny spoke up. "He could be a spy for his father. Everyone knows his dad's involved with You-Know-Who, no matter how hard he tries to cover it up. I bet Draco's a Death Eater too."

A few of the other students that had been passing through stopped and gave nervous and mistrustful looks at the seated blonde, whispering to each other.

"That's a lie!" Harry yelled, furious that everyone seemed to be turning on his boyfriend.

"Let's see his arms then," Colin demanded, coming to stand just behind Dean and Ginny. A few of the other students that had stopped to listen were nodding their heads as well, muttering sounds of agreement.

Draco scowled. 'So much for being accepted,' he thought with annoyance and a twinge of hurt.

The blonde stood and started to remove his cloak.

Harry grabbed Draco's hands and stopped him. "He doesn't have to show his arms to anyone. I know he's not a Death Eater."

"How can you be sure?" Jimmy Peakes, a short, first year boy, questioned nervously. "Maybe he's hiding his mark."

"Oh for Merlin's sake," Draco huffed, pulling away from Harry and removing his robes. He unbuttoned the cuffs of the long sleeved shirt he was wearing and pushed both sleeves up to his elbows, exposing both forearms that were free of any marks.

"Go ahead, cast Aparecium, Finite Incantatem, Specialis Revelio, or any other spell you want to use to see if I'm hiding a mark," Draco drawled out disdainfully, holding his arms out to his accusers. "What's the matter?" he asked mockingly when the other's just stood there staring. "I'm waiting." The blonde stood there, anger oozing off of him in almost palpable waves before he jerked his sleeves back down. Grabbing his cloak he stormed off towards the exit.

"I can't believe you guys just did that," Harry said as he glowered at his now shamed housemates, before running out the door himself after the blonde, leaving Hermione and Ron to lecture Dean and the three younger Gryffindors.

"Draco, wait," Harry called out, catching up to his boyfriend just outside the Knight's portrait. "They're all idiots," The-Boy-Who-Lived fumed.

Draco said the password and the two boys entered his private rooms. "They're all scared," Draco responded quietly.

"Yes, but they don't have to take their fears out on you," Harry replied, sitting down on the sofa with his boyfriend.

"Who better than me and Thomas was right, these attacks did start right after my father was released. Something is happening, something big and we've got to get ready for it," Draco stated.

Harry leaned his head back and rubbed at the scar on his forehead. "I know. My scar's been bothering me more than usual. We need to practice with those spells more, some of the stronger ones."

Draco got onto his knees and pulled Harry around so that he was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, his back towards him. He began to massage the Gryffindor's tense shoulders. "We should ask Ron and Hermione to practice with us. I need to work on the shield spells as well and I can't do that if I've nothing to shield against."

According to the book, the only spells the sacrifice would be able to perform would be shield or defence spells, while Harry, who had finally, after much sniping and cajoling on Draco's part, grudgingly agreed to act the part of the fighter, would be the one to use the attack spells.

"It's really happening, isn't it?" Harry asked quietly. "We're really at war." "Yeah," Draco admitted a bit fearfully.

"We've got to stop them, Draco," Harry affirmed.

"We've got to find them first," the blonde boy returned. "Maybe Granger can help us with that too. She said she was going to try and track where the attacks were happening to see if she could find some kind of pattern."

"I'll ask her, I'm sure she'll want to help," Harry responded, sighing as the tension he had been feeling was beginning to ebb under the gentle ministrations of his boyfriend's kneading hands.

The two teens slipped into silence, each lost in their own thoughts and fears for the upcoming confrontation.