ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅʀᴀᴛᴛᴇᴅ ʟɪʟᴀ ʜᴏʟᴍᴇꜱ || ᴅʀᴀᴄᴏ ᴍᴀʟꜰᴏʏ x ᴏᴄ || ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ 1-3

rescue operation

a/n: snape plays the recorder and madam pomfrey hates her job (also kind of a long chapter, sorry!)

Exams themselves were a lot simpler than I thought they would be. Dean, Seamus, Neville, and I's studying had been very much worth our time and effort.

After exams, the four of us walked to the library. Despite the rules, we compared answers, leading to many disappointed sighs and light-hearted arguments. I was trying to enjoy the moment, but instead all I could focus on was the plan.

I had to talk to Snape myself, alone. Each passing day, it seemed less and less likely to be him that was helping the Dark Lord. Who the guilty party was, however, I didn't know. I still suspected Quirrel, though he'd have to be an excellent actor.

He was new to Hogwarts as of this year, the same year Harry arrived. According to Harry, he was in Diagon Alley the same day the Stone was attempted to be stolen. He was the only one standing between Snape and the Stone, and the one Snape had been harassing this whole time. Also, I remembered Hermione had knocked him over at the Quidditch match. Still, however, that didn't explain Snape's jinxing, or his hatred for Harry.

I decided I would go tonight. The three of them would be least suspecting, and they would be tired, especially after exams. Probably too tired to care where I went, or realize that I'd taken the invisibility cloak. Dumbledore wanted me to figure this out. Surely though, he didn't mean on my own.

I didn't have another choice. They were convinced Snape was guilty, and had mostly given up on protecting the Stone anyway. I had to do it on my own.

"Everything okay in there?" Dean poked my forehead from where he sat beside me. I blinked out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm alright," I shook my head. "Just spacing out. My brain hurts." 

Dean laughed. "We should take you back to your dorms to get some sleep."

"No, I slept plenty last night," I frowned. "I don't want to skew my sleep schedule."

"You sleep?" Seamus joked. "I didn't think you had the time."

"The brain functions better well-rested," I smiled. "I don't want to deprive myself of that."

"Even with two hours of sleep you'd still be ten times smarter than I am," Neville shook his head.

"You have many redeeming qualities," I said gently. "You're very brave, and you've gotten braver since the year started. Malfoy hasn't bullied you since the Quidditch match. Also, you should give yourself more credit. You're a lot smarter than you think you are, Neville. You were the first to finish your Herbology exam."

Neville brightened up about this. We returned to talking about exams, and then our plans for the summer. My father was going on a business trip to Crete to collaborate with other economists, and he couldn't leave me by myself in the house (I wouldn't let him) so I was coming along. Coincidentally, Deans grandparents were moving in for their retirement and so he was going as well. He invited Seamus and Neville along, and so there was a chance that they would go too.

Later that night, at dinner, Hermione filled me in on what had happened throughout the day. I paled as she told me that they were planning on saving the Stone that night. This completely ruined my plan.

"Why not tomorrow, when McGonagall's less suspicious?" I offered. I just needed more time.

"We have to go tonight," she said. "Otherwise it might be too late."

"I can't," I shook my head. "Four is too many of us. I'll stay behind and if you don't come back after a while I'll get help."

"But McGonagall—"