Draco felt that nightmare feeling all over again. It was almost like that night he and Snape fled Hogwarts. All so surreal. He stood in Dumbledore's office with his head bowed. Around him McGonagall was arguing with Dumbledore, with Sprout and Filch. All around him chaos, and there was Draco; the eye of the storm once again.

He was never going to get out of this one.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore's voice thundered above them. "I have heard the opinion of everyone. Now I would like to hear the facts. Professor Malfoy. If you would be so kind as to enlighten us."

Draco licked his lips. He raised his eyes to Dumbledore, shying from the judgmental glares of McGonagall and Sprout. "Well sir. I was returning to my apartments when I heard a scream. I ran to investigate and I saw Adams in the clutches of Minx Mercer and his boys."

"Adams said this was the second time you were out prowling at night, Malfoy," said McGonagall. "Care to explain that?"

He glared back at her. "Is it against the rules for a teacher to be out of his rooms at night?"

She pressed her lips tight and said nothing, but Draco knew it wasn't an adequate explanation of his movements. If he could only get Dumbledore alone-

"Go on," said the headmaster.

"So…so I disarmed them and they released Adams. They ran, I pursued them, and they disappeared."

"How did they get into Hogwarts?" asked Sprout. "You can't apparate or floo here."

Draco shook his head. "I don't know."

"Draco," said Dumbledore in a quiet voice, "Miss Adams has made some serious accusations. For one, she says the men knew you and in fact called you…Lord Malfoy."

Draco rolled his eyes and expelled a long breath. "I…ran into Mercer a few weeks ago quite accidentally-"

Sprout made a disbelieving snort.

Draco ignored her and continued. "And he made some noises about other Death Eaters and gathering up a following to continue Voldemort's work. I thought he was a nutter and ignored him. But…" He rubbed his hands together. Suddenly, he felt quite cold. "But I ran into him again in Knockturn Alley-"

"And what, pray, were you doing there?" said McGonagall.

"I was getting potion ingredients," he said between clenched teeth. "The headmaster had just hired me."

"Am I given to understand, Draco," said the old wizard, "that you ran into a known felon and escaped convict for a second time and did not notify the authorities?"

Draco felt numb all over. He tried to still the trembling in his limbs. "It's just that the first time I thought he was just mad. The second time he started to talk about others wanting…well, wanting me to be their next…you know. Dark Lord. He told me he could reanimate the Dark Mark so that I could call the other bloody Death Eaters. I told him to sod off and then I thought I would handle it myself, knowing these blokes. You know, a little shy of Aurors and all. But then I just…forgot." That even sounded lame to him. He tried to swallow but his throat was as dry as parchment.

Dumbledore was silent as he walked in a circle around him. Draco didn't much care what Sprout or McGonagall had to say, but he was getting mighty worried at Dumbledore's silence. "Miss Adams also said something quite disturbing," said Dumbledore. "She said the Death Eaters offered to help you exterminate Mr. Potter…but that you told them you could handle it well enough alone." His bright eyes searched Draco's.

Draco panted. "No, that's not what I said-" Except that he couldn't clearly remember what he said. They had said something about killing Harry but Draco had played along to get Adams freed. Yes, that was it. "I had to play along with them. They had Adams."

"But you disarmed them, did you not?"

"Yes, but they had a hold of her. They could have easily broken her neck. And I never agreed to hurt Harry. I would never hurt Harry."

"And so you pursued them. Where?"

"They headed toward the potions dungeon. I thought I could corner them there. No way out, you see. Then they ducked into my private rooms…but they weren't there."

The Aurors burst into Dumbledore's office. Smythe and Hennessey marched in first, followed by Nymphadora Tonks. "We found it," she said.

Found it? Found what?

She held up something in her hand. Draco squinted trying to see what it was. She laid it in Dumbledore's waiting palm. Dumbledore examined it and then turned to Draco. It looked like a dead beetle. "You found this in Draco's room?"

"Clear as day, Albus. Sitting right there on his nightstand."

Draco couldn't stand it anymore. "What is it?" he cried.

"A portal device," explained Dumbledore. "This charm allows anyone to apparate anywhere. Even such places as Hogwarts that have charms and wards to prevent it. You see, it must be brought willingly to such a place."

"But I never saw that before! I didn't do this, headmaster!"

"What shall we do with him?" asked Tonks. Her fists punched into her hips. She was looking down her nose at Draco and her lips were curled back in a sneer.

Just then Harry burst through the door, wand at the ready. He swept the room with alert eyes. "What's going on? Someone said there were Death Eaters here."

"Only one left," said Tonks. She raised her wand toward Draco. "Hand over your wand, Malfoy."

Draco turned desperately to Dumbledore. "I didn't do this headmaster! There has got to be another explanation. You must believe me! I would never, ever hurt Harry. I swear!"

Harry stared at the tableau of Draco, Tonks, and Dumbledore. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

Dumbledore ignored him and kept his eyes glued to Draco. "I am afraid, Mr. Malfoy, that I must allow the authorities to take you for questioning. The witness was very clear on what she saw and heard. I deeply regret these actions, Draco, and hope we can resolve this as soon as possible."

Draco felt as if his heart were being ripped out. He looked at Harry whose face had gone white.

"Draco," he said softly, "what's going on?"

But Draco reached carefully into his pocket and withdrew his new wand. He looked at it lovingly for a long moment and slowly handed it to Tonks. With a trembling voice, he said, "It looks like I'm going to Azkaban after all."


On to Chapter Fifteen
"Azkaban"

Back to Chapter Thirteen
"Uninvited Guests"

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