Chapter 5
Harry deided, after a ouple days thought, that it did not telling MGonagall there was an animagus on the grounds. Had he been younger, he may have waited a bit lo sine he had lear what kind of people hid in the wizarding world, well, he ouldting Hagrid and MGonagall and ahe grounds in ger. He would have to swallow his pride and tell MGonagall sooer, although he was o knowing the wolf’s identity than he had been a lus, now that he was grown, maybe she would let him help takle the problem instead of insistiay ohough that had hardly stopped him in shool.
& s, in fat, that Harry had barely been sleeping.
&ook bak t the hallways at all hours of the night, avoidiion of the duh all his might, but ending up there iably. He had felt the strahe hall twie more. The feelihed, aompa same tug, that same feeling of waiting for someoo speak. But no one ever did, and he never saw anything that gave him pause, so he halked it up to the feeli he wa didn’t expin why he had o a few times aime he eherihe du if he ig, it was a good eion as any. In his inability to sleep, he found himself dressed ahe day by six in the m, deidio the kithehing bef to MGonagall’s offie. Whehe kithens, he fou have muh of aling for a up of offee. He worried that it was to see MGonagall just yet, ahere was noiherin dungeons again. Just to look. As he rouo the duhe faint lik of footsteps. He stopped just at the edge of the or daring to look, liste sure why he was hidihat whoever was oming had just as little busihere as he did.
&ura” a familiar female voie said firmly. He heard the liking of briks ao see the tail end of green robes disappearing iherin doorway.
MGonagall.
Harry stood, frozen, waitihe dooren again, but it did ed tewenty, and still she did settled it for him.
Whatever she was hiding in there, he was going to find out. Tonight. The animagus ould wait.
“I do’s so hard about staying away from him,” MGonagall started again, paing aross the old Slytherin ommon room.
& let me!” Drao ompined.
“Then disillusion yourself, Malfoy! He an hardly pester you if he doesn’t khere!”
“I have been!”
& uand the problem!”
“I think it would be better if—”
“Mr. Malfoy. There is o send you. Apart from your parents, I am the o kh. You know I an’t send you off of the grounds. You’ll surely be found out. As for Mr. Potter, the poor boy was withering away and I had Albus Dumbledore’s portrait ielli I a a boy with suh potential waste it. I don’t are how muh you dislike him, or whatever feelings of animosity you may still harbor, I won’t turn him aly beause you don’t want hi—”
“That’s not why!” Drao yelled, suddenly, startling eve was the loudest he had been in years. He didn’t knoable of suh a ill.
MGonagall stilled. “Then why, Mr. Malfoy?” she asked stiffly.
“I an’t stand to see him like this,” Drao admitted, quietly.
&ime, it will get better,” she assured him. “Oeahing.”
“I don’t know that it will.”
“Dorariwise,” she hastised.
“I found him, the first night, standiherialking to dead pe. And by dead people I mean speifially me,” Drao started slowly. “And how he misses me.”
MGonagall opeo speak and the, looking rather like a fish.
“I’ve already brought so muh pain into his life,” Drao o I was o amend. I think it will ruio see him so torhis when I ould so easily fix it, if only thile bit different. I think I an only h before I ruihing. It’s already almost more than I an bear.”
MGonagall was silent for a moment that strethed on for what felt like eternity. It was the losest Drao had ever been to admittihing out loud.
“You ed him, did you?” she asked gently.
Drao smiled bak at her weakly.
“No, I suppose you didn’t. I suppose that was ao please your father.”
“I suppose it was.”
& look at her. He didn’t wahe sorry look on her fae.
Finally she said, “Let me figure out what I a the same time tomorrow.”
Drao nodded.
Whe, he looked around at his room, feeling a bit of menholy sink into his stomah. He rekohey wouldn’t be his rer. his way.
Chapter 6
Harry supposed the only plus to not having grown sine his shool days was that his old Invisibility Cloak still overed him down to his feet, if he rouhed.
He had been standing in the dungeon hallway for thirty minutes. He had heard the brik wall likiurhe orner upon his arrival, but he hadn’t bee mea gone ihe hours between m and nightfall had bee those mere mihe hallway were utter agony. After half an hour, the uriosity at what was oher side outweighed his fear of whomever he may en