The Wand of Ravenclaw

Many Meetings

'You!' cried Harry starting forward.

'I see they haven't cut out your eyes yet then,' said Malfoy. Harry noticed his voice lacked its usual bravado, but this didn't stop him lunging for the traitor, all thoughts of wands forgotten.

'Harry, no!' yelled Hermione. She took a firm grip of his cloak, which was enough to yank him back.

'Hermione, what are you doing?' Harry yelled into her face. 'This piece of filth killed Dumbledore!'

'No he didn't, and you know it,' said Hermione. 'Snape killed Dumbledore, not Malfoy.'

'He did enough,' said Harry. 'He let those Death Eaters into Hogwarts, he nearly killed Ron twice. He's just as bad. He's rubbish because he couldn't do it properly but I'm still going to kill him for trying.'

'Harry, please,' said Hermione passionately.

'Hermione get out of the way,' said Harry reaching into his cloak.

'Put it down, Harry,' said Hermione swatting Harry's arm as it made for his wand.

'You should listen to her, Potter,' said Malfoy, his voice oddly strained without its usual coolness. 'Wouldn't want to have a girly little catfight, would you?'

'And you can shut up too!' said Hermione rounding on Malfoy. 'The only reason I'm trying to stop Harry is for his sake, not yours. He isn't a killer – he isn't your father.'

'Don't you mention my father,' said Malfoy rising.

'Or what?' said Hermione coolly. Her own wand was raised and pointing right and Malfoy's chest, at the point where his heart would be if he had one, thought Harry. Malfoy eyed Hermione's wand with a degree of caution, his mind fighting a fierce battle about what to do next. Harry thought he saw the instinct for a fight but after taking a long look at Hermione's wand he appeared to think better of it and sat back down.

'You've got one hell of a cheek to turn up here,' said Harry angrily. 'I think it's time you explained yourself.'

'What I do is none of your business,' said Malfoy.

'You want to be a Death Eater, you know and are related to Death Eaters and you're an evil piece of scum. That makes you my business. I want to know what you are doing here.'

'And if I don't want to tell you?'

'Then I'll force it from you,' said Harry, slightly perturbed by the hint of a quaver in Malfoy's voice.

'Oh yeah, how?' said Malfoy.

'Well for a start I know where that foul Snape kept his Veritaserum,' said Harry. 'How hard do you think it would be for me and Hermione to subdue you and drag you up there?'

'Still need the Muggle to do all the work for you, don't you?' said Malfoy with a sneer.

'Right, that's it!' said Harry striding forward.

'No!' said Hermione, stepping in front of Harry. 'And you can put that down as well.' She had turned back to Malfoy who had managed to get his wand out now.

'Don't try and tell me what to do, Mudb-'

'Expelliarmus!'

Harry had taken about as much of Malfoy as he could stand for one day. The force of the spell had thrown him off the rock he was sat upon and he was now flat on his back on the path leading to Hogsmeade. Harry shook off Hermione's protests and raced over to Malfoy, his wand pointing at his prostrate body and he wondered which curse would hurt the most. Then Malfoy spoke and for the first time ever Harry thought he sounded scared of him.