Lumos

45 | The Locket

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" I asked, praying my patronus would last long enough for me to get out safely. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were probably waiting for me . . .

"I could ask you the same question. This is the last place you should be right now, and with those three? Are you out of your mind? And if you don't answer with the truth, I will turn you in," he warned.

"I needed something from here," I said, reaching for the doorknob.

"And what might that be?" Malfoy asked, pushing the door shut again. He looked up at the dementors which were slowly easing their way down. My patronus wasn't strong enough, and wasn't going to last.

"Uh . . . Closure?"

"Closure?" he scoffed. "From what?"

"Umbridge, the she-devil. She gave me hell. I got payback," I said, shrugging.

"You're right, she really hated you," he snickered.

"Uh, Malfoy," I said, eyeing the nearing dementors, "I hate to break it to you, but you really need to let me—and yourself—out of here. My patronus isn't strong enough, and I know you can't cast one. If you don't move, we'll both die."

He pointed a finger at me. "They never taught us how to cast a patronus. It's not my fault you were in that stupid club and I wasn't, Dumbledore's Army . . ."

I grabbed the collar of his shirt, slamming him against the doors. The wood creaked as his eyes widened, focused on me. I kept him pressed to the door, my hand flat on his chest. I could feel his heartbeat accelerate against my palm.

"Let me out of here, or I'll damn you to a fate worse than these guys will." I pointed up at the hooded creatures, my voice deathly calm.

As I removed my hand, he stepped away, and I scowled at him. As I pulled the doors open, the barrier between us and the dementors disappeared. My breath hitched in my throat as I grabbed Malfoy's hand.

"Run!" I shouted. We began racing down the hall towards the lift, running as fast as our legs could carry us. I smashed my hand against the button, willing the grilles to open quickly.

"Can't you cast it again?" Malfoy asked frantically.

"I can't, I know it won't be strong enough!"

We turned as the dark creatures flew towards us. The door to the lift opened and we stepped inside, Draco pressing the close button. As the bars moved shut, the dementors slammed against the grilles, their long, bony fingers stretching in, reaching for our souls . . .

I couldn't breathe as they began inhaling, trying to take our breaths away. My back was flat against the wall as the lift started to move. Just as I thought we were going to die, the lift shot up, separating us from the dementors.

I sucked in a deep breath, bending over, hands on my knees.

"This . . ." I gasped, "is all . . . your fault!" I punched Malfoy as hard as I could in the arm.

"Ow!" he shouted.

"Oh come on, I didn't hit you that hard!" I yelled back. "I'd take a punch any day over you almost getting us killed!"

"You're unbelievable!" he yelled back, rubbing his bruised arm.

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. As the lift dinged and came to a stop, I stepped out, Malfoy next to me.

"Harry Potter?" a man near me whispered.

"Excuse me?" I asked, patting his shoulder. "What did you just say?"