What If? -Drarry

Part Three: Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

The evening that Hagrid was fired, Draco was in the library with Blaise. Manimi, coiled in his bag, had started to hiss when a loud cracking noise accompanied a burst of red light from outside the jewelled windows. Looking up from their textbooks, the two boys made brief eye contact before looking at the window, waiting for another sound. When none came, Blaise raised an eyebrow and returned to his work.

Another sudden noise made them both jump. This time Draco closed his textbook, draped Manimi over his shoulders, and walked to the window, opening it into the darkness and looking around.

A little way away, several figures surrounded Hagrid's hut. Draco recognised the unmistakeably squat figure of Umbridge and the huge mass that was Hagrid, as well as several other people. Blaise, peering out from behind Draco, pointed at something moving a towards the figures.

"Is that... McGonagall?" He asked, incredulously.

"Shh," Draco hissed as he strained his ears. McGonagall, for it was her, was screaming something that Draco couldn't quite make out at the people standing around Hagrid's hut, and a second later, a cacophony of light and noise met their eyes. Manimi gave a sound that was more like a cat spitting than the normal hiss of a snake, and even though Draco didn't speak Parseltongue, he completely understood. Suddenly, out of the mass of spells, they saw Hagrid running with something in his arms, his long strides too fast for Umbridge and her minions. A spell flew close to him, illuminating his massive beard and outlining his body for a fraction of a second, and then he was gone, vanishing into the darkness.

Both boys yelped as the window slammed shut and they turned to see Madam Pince holding a finger to her lips and pointing with her other hand back to the table where they had previously been sitting.

"But-" Blaise began, but Madam Pince swiped the air with her hand.

"Be quiet, or leave," She hissed, and swept away.

"What on earth was that all about?" Blaise asked under his breath as they sat back at their table.

"I guess they were trying to sack Hagrid. Do you think McGonagall is okay?" Draco looked to the window again, biting his nail.

"She'll be fine," Blaise said confidently. "It'd take more than Umbridge to hurt her."

"Sneaking up on him in the dark like that," Draco shook his head in disgust, "Bloody cowards."

"Come on, then," Blaise said after a moment. "we've still got a History exam to revise for, no matter what goes on put there."

0o0o

"We're finished!" Theo was grinning as together he, Draco, Blaise, and Pansy walked into the sunny grounds. "No more exams!"

The history OWL had gone better than any of them had expected after Professor Bins' abysmal teaching, and even though he was tired after a night of extreme cramming, Draco felt light and happy. Their exams were over. They were free to do what they wanted, and that meant enjoying the sun while it lasted and then getting very drunk at the post-exam party later that night. Better yet, he and Harry were meeting after dinner, and Draco had a good idea of how they were going to celebrate.

But for now, the sun was shining, the breeze was cool, and his friends - for they were his friends now, not merely allies to a familiar cause - were laughing together as they walked by the lake. Gladly, Draco joined in.