The Last Kefsen by Jardyn39
Chapter 17: Unexpected Guests
"Oh, come on! It'll be fun."
"No."
"Why not? I want to."
"No."
Harry was getting annoyed now. Harry had been arguing with Ginny and her "twin" for five minutes now.
"It was my idea. It will be good practice. Everyone needs to practice, don't they?"
Harry looked at Jen and sighed. "Look, for the final time, NO!"
Ginny raised her eyebrows and Harry thought he should continue before she had a chance to say anything. He addressed Jen.
"Why not? One. You can't leave Gryffindor Tower.
"Two. You are not a dark creature, not anymore.
"Three. You can't defend yourself.
"Four. I will hex anyone who so much as aims a wand at you, even if you were stupid enough to ask them to."
Harry turned back to Ginny but could have sworn he saw Jen give her a wink as he did so. Ginny fought a smile. Jen went over to the fireplace where a group of Second Years were chatting happily.
"Ginny, if you really want to practice you can always aim at me."
"Thanks Harry," Ginny replied, "but I only wanted to get her back and she suggested a duel. I wasn't really going to shoot at her."
"What did she do?"
"Well, she's been impersonating me and quite a few other girls and going up to boys and, well, teasing them. Telling them things."
Harry sighed. "I'm really sorry, Ginny. I'll have a word with her. You know, I actually thought that was you doing that."
"Well, sometimes it was," admitted Ginny with a wry smile as she went over to join her friends, leaving Harry standing there dumbfounded.
*
Harry stood facing Ron in the Room of Requirement. All around them was strewn the debris from their duel. They were surrounded by books, smashed shelves and burst cushions.
Harry was reaching the end of his tether.
He'd been giving Ron extra duelling lessons for what seemed ages now.
"You're just too quick, Harry."
"No, I'm not," Harry replied through gritted teeth. This wasn't getting them anywhere.
He walked forward, as did Ron.
"What's the problem?" Harry asked gently. "You were never this bad at aiming before. You almost look preoccupied."
Ron pocketed his wand, noticing that Harry wasn't even carrying his. He'd just been dodging and seriously considering punching some sense into Ron.
Ron sighed. "Great, I can't even beat you when you're unarmed," he said dejectedly.
"It's not about beating me. It's about defending yourself properly."
"It's just…"
Harry waited.
"Look," said Ron trying to explain himself. "Dumbledore has been teaching you defence himself this year, hasn't he? You've also got free access to the Restricted Section too."
"You'd rather I let someone else duel with you? I would, except I can't think of anyone you'd be fairly matched against."
"I keep thinking you're going to hex me with something really dark."
Harry was about to say, "I will if you don't buck your ideas up," but he caught himself in time.
"It's true, I have been learning some pretty dark things this year, although Dumbledore has refused to teach me those. He's placed some fairly severe restrictions on me too. Hermione's the only one I can compare notes with and I'm forbidden to teach even her what I know."
Ron looked up at him.
"Basically, the moment Dumbledore finds out I've used or taught dark magic, I'm toast. You know he's been using Snape to try and provoke me?"
Ron nodded slightly.
"I've got an idea," said Harry. "Something that might make you want to fight properly. Let's finish for this evening, but you should expect no mercy next time."
*
A few days later, Harry and Ron faced each other again in the miraculously restored Room of Requirement.
Harry had been waiting for Ron.
"Ready?" asked Harry with a cold smile.
"Suppose," mumbled Ron, unenthusiastically.
Harry waiting for Ron to assume his duelling stance and then said, "You call it."
Ron took a deep steadying breath, and said, "On three. One. Two. Three!"
Harry shouted, "Accio!"
His invisibility cloak flew off to reveal a chair in front of Ron upon which sat a bound and gagged Luna. She was sitting totally relaxed, as if she hadn't a care in the world.
Harry threw the cloak safely to one side and fired a carefully aimed stunner at Ron. It just missed Luna's head, her long blonde hair flying up.
Ron yelled, "Stop!" and ran around, placing himself between Harry and Luna. Unfortunately, Harry had by then moved.
Harry's stinging hex flew under the chair catching both Ron and Luna in the back of their legs. Luna winced loudly and Ron turned to her in shock, ignoring his own pain.
Harry's next stunner was returned by Ron's use of a Protego shield. Harry easily dodged it and fired, again deliberately aiming for Luna.
Ron was getting angry now.
Thankfully, he turned his anger to good use rather than just panicking. Gradually his hexes became stronger and more accurate.
Then, at long last, Ron anticipated Harry's movement and caught him with a stunner. It wasn't strong, but it was a good start.
"Ha!" yelled Harry, easily disarming Ron so he knew their little practice session was over.
"Well done, Ron. I see we hit a nerve."
Ron was fuming. It would take him a while to forgive Harry for what he'd just done. Luna had insisted that Harry actually fire at her to make it look real.
"You okay, Luna?"
"Oh, yes," she said casually, the knot of her gag having been charmed to untie itself as soon as she wanted to speak. "It was most exciting. I told you Ronald could do it if he wanted to."
"Need a hand with those bindings?" asked Harry.
"No thanks," she replied looking up at Ron. "We'll manage."
Harry collected his cloak and left the two of them alone.
*
"No invisibility cloak this time?" asked Hermione with a grin.
"Sorry, I left it behind," replied Harry.
They were circling each other in the Room of Requirement. Harry realised from her banter that Hermione was becoming much more confident.
"That wasn't a very nice thing to do, tricking Ron like that."
"It worked though."
"Who's going to be under the cloak when you test Ginny?"
Harry snorted despite himself.
Ginny had been practicing rather a lot with Neville lately. He had no idea, but Ron had apparently caught them "reviving" each other after a session in this very room. Or at least, that's what they claimed to be doing. Ron had consulted Harry over whether this might not have been true. Much to Neville's relief, Harry had confirmed that sometimes people needed to be revived without magic. Ron was still clearly suspicious, though, especially when Harry forbad Ron from reviving him, ever.
Hermione fired at once, taking full advantage of his lack of concentration.
Harry's Protego shield rebounded her stunners just in time.
"Not bad," he admitted.
Hermione smiled a calculating smile. She clearly wasn't done yet.
They exchanged a few more stunners, but Harry knew this was just to warm up. Both of them easily blocked and dodged.
Hermione stepped sideways and then quickly reversed. She appeared to trip over her own feat and fell to her knees giving a convincing wince of pain.
Harry almost believed this wasn't a feint, but the barrage of spells that followed were incredibly intense.
Harry could actually feel the impact of the range of spells against his shield. He actually struggled to maintain the shield this time. Hermione was aiming carefully so she didn't have to dodge her own reflected spells and could concentrate on firing quickly.
Soon, though, Hermione tired. Harry aimed and returned fire, his spells blasting Hermione's own shield. He was amazed she could resist the power of his hexes.
Feeling himself weaken, Harry ended his volley with a final stunner aimed at the ceiling. Hermione hadn't expected that. The red stunner bounced off the ceiling and hit her. It had just cleared the top of her forward facing shield.
Harry stumbled over and collapsed next to her. Hermione was still conscious but clearly as exhausted as he was. She lay on her back, panting with a smile on her face.
Harry grinned at her and asked, "You okay?"
Hermione smiled back and nodded.
"I thought I could get you when you tired of firing spells. I wasn't expecting you to get past my shield."
"It almost worked," said Harry, wiping sweat from his brow. "That's enough for tonight. We need a bath!"
"Honestly, Harry. What are you like?" she asked with a grin. "What would Jen say?"
Harry didn't think he had the energy to blush. He was wrong.
*
A couple of days later, Harry was returning to Gryffindor Tower. It was gone two o'clock in the morning and he had just come back from the library, having found some more useful things in the Restricted Section. He wasn't carrying a bag as Madam Pince had persuaded him to keep his notes in the restricted section in case anyone found them and was tempted to have a go.
As he approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, he thought he heard something behind him. He turned quickly and drew his wand. Harry listened intently.
Ahead out of the darkness he heard a dull thud followed by an urgent panicked whisper, "What have you done?! What are we going to do now? He'll kill us!"
"Lumos!" Harry spoke and a strange scene lit up before him.
On the floor of the corridor was Draco Malfoy, clearly unconscious. Huddled over him were Crabbe and Goyle who briefly looking up at Harry but soon turned their attention back to Malfoy.
To Harry's surprise, Crabbe took charge of the situation. "Greg, go back to the common room and get Pansy. Don't tell her anything, just bring her. Tell no-one else and bring no-one else. And take this thing back with you. Got it?"
Crabbe handed a long, lethal looking silver dagger to Goyle who nodded and with a last fearful look at Malfoy, hurried off.
"Potter, I…" Crabbe began but stopped and appeared to think a different approach was called for. He cleared his throat and began again.
"Harry, I knocked Draco out. We need somewhere private to talk to him when he comes round. Somewhere the other Slytherins won't find him. They'll be looking now."
Harry was startled for a moment. Not only had Crabbe spoken to him civilly, he also sounded like he had some intelligence. Somehow this seemed more shocking than the fact that Draco was apparently going to try and kill him.
"Can we use your common room? It's late, there won't be anyone there at this hour. You can change the password after. Please. We don't have long."
Harry considered this request. Was it a trick?
When he heard the Fat Lady's portrait swing open. Hermione climbed out and he decided as soon as he saw her.
Hermione wanted unity between all the houses. Unity starts with trust.
She looked initially surprised when Harry pocketed his wand and went over to help Crabbe. Together they dragged Malfoy into the common room and dumped him on the rug in front of the fire which was glowing with its last embers.
By the time Crabbe took Malfoy's wand out from his pocket and handed it to Hermione, she had a look that told Harry she was going to make the most of this opportunity.
"Please take this and hide it in the girl's dormitory so Draco can't get it for a bit. Please. We are going to need it back though. Please make sure nothing happens to it."
Hermione took the wand and immediately rushed upstairs to hide it. She returned almost immediately and Crabbe then explained what had happened.
"Draco here has been plotting against you, Harry," he said calmly. "This year especially he has cooked up an extraordinary number of schemes to get you into trouble. Up to now it's always been stupid juvenile stuff. Harmless really. Unlucky too," he looked up with a smirk, "somehow Greg and I usually find a way to mess things up for him before someone gets really hurt."
Harry wondered at the thought that Crabbe and Goyle had been his guardian angels. It had been true though, aside from his usual insults, Malfoy had been unusually inactive this year. With everything Harry was involved with, he hadn't noticed.
"But tonight was different?" he asked.
"Tonight was different. You know, I really didn't think he would go through with it. Usually if there's a chance of getting into trouble, he gets us to do it. All the way here we tried dissuading him. He thinks he wants to avenge his father. Strange really, since they both loath each other."
Hermione crossed over the room and crawled out through the portrait hole. Outside she found Goyle and Pansy Parkinson and beckoned them inside to the common room.
Pansy climbed through and went straight over to check on Malfoy. "Stupid. Stupid," she muttered kneeling next him. Then she asked abruptly, "Where's his wand?"
"I put it upstairs," said Hermione.
"Good. Okay, I'm going to wake Draco in a moment so we can talk to him," she stood and looked directly at Harry. "Let's agree a couple of things first though."
She was interrupted by a sleepy Ron who had come down the stairs. "What in Merlin's name are you lot doing here? Get out now!"
"Shh, Ron!" said Hermione.
"Don't Shh me!"
"Can we lock those doors?" asked Crabbe.
Harry, who had been thinking the exact same thing said, "Yes, in a moment." He wasn't sure he wanted Ron to stay.
Pansy went on. "When Draco wakes, he will be afraid and feeling vulnerable, especially waking up here. He will say things, probably do things and throw things that some will find upsetting. I want your assurance that no Gryffindor will respond. No insults back at him and certainly no action against him. He doesn't have a wand but if he needs to be restrained it would be better in the longer term if we do it."
"Agreed," said Harry and Hermione without hesitation at the same time.
Ron had spluttered, "No way."
"Let's also agree," continued Pansy, ignoring Ron, "that if any Gryffindor speaks out of turn or acts contrary to our agreement then you, not us, will deal with them."
Ron looked indignantly around the room as both Harry and Hermione nodded.
Hermione went up to him and spoke gently. "Ron, this is important. Are you sure you want to stay?"
He looked at her coldly and drew out his wand. "I'm staying."
Harry went up to each dormitory entrance door and sealed them closed with a strong colloportus spell before returning down the stairs. Hermione, meanwhile, re-lit the common room lamps.
"Okay then," and with some trepidation, Pansy pointed her wand at Draco and said, "Ennervate."
Draco groaned and moved slowly. For a moment he just rubbed his head, clearly trying to remember what happened. Suddenly he jerked his head up looking furious and making the others jump.
Draco let rip a stream of expletives at Crabbe and Goyle. They looked away from him looking fearful but Pansy sat patiently, waiting for him to stop.
When at last he did, she spoke. "Now you've got that out of your system, perhaps you'd like to listen."
"Which one of you hit me?" Draco growled. Hermione pocketed her wand.
"We had to stop you, Draco. This time you would have gone too far," said Pansy. Harry was impressed she said we when she clearly hadn't been there.
"My father …" began Draco but Pansy cut him off.
"Your father is a servant of the Dark Lord, as are all our fathers. They made a choice. You have a choice too, Draco," she said calmly.
"Traitors. You are traitors," Draco said shakily, close to tears. "Look at the company you are keeping. How could you? This scum …"
"You know we're not too keen on having you here either, mate. In fact why don't you-" interrupted Ron quickly, before Hermione could react. Ron stopped when Harry's stunner hit him and he fell unconscious to the floor.
"Err, sorry about that," said Harry sheepishly.
Crabbe looked impressed for a moment and then returned is attention back to Draco.
"Draco, what are we traitors to? We just decided not to follow the world's most evil Dark Lord who would probably end up killing our families even it we did follow him."
"Yeah. It doesn't mean we don't still hate Gryffindor," piped up Goyle.
"Here! Here!" said Pansy, smiling and winking at Harry. But then her face became serious.
"Draco, we brought you here so you could be away from prying eyes for a short while. So you can have a think. You now know that the three of us don't think that Harry here to deserves be killed. Stick with making him angry, making him loose house points and getting him into detention and we'll give you all the help you need."
"Tonight you convinced yourself that killing Potter would avenge your father," continued Crabbe. "But that's not why you tried, is it? You are convinced that the Dark Lord will be victorious this time. You were afraid your father and the Dark Lord might doubt you. You know your father would not hesitate to kill you if the Dark Lord ordered your death."
"The Dark Lord will win," Draco said dryly, staring down at the carpet. "Of course I'm afraid. You should be too. No one will stop him."
"Everyone is scared," agreed Goyle.
"Your fear has clouded you judgement," said Crabbe. "He probably kills more followers than enemies. If he wins the odds of any of us surviving long can't be good. Besides, if the Dark Lord believed Potter was killed in his name without his actually giving the order …"
Draco gulped.
"Well Harry hasn't been killed," interrupted Pansy. "Rather more seriously, you also now know that not all Slytherins are prepared to follow the Dark Lord. It's true, we haven't exactly advertised our allegiances before now. I'm not going to beg you not to betray us to the Dark Lord's followers, Draco. But I do hope our friendship means something."
"Are there many against You-Know-Who in Slytherin?" asked Hermione.
"More that you might think and fewer than we would like," replied Pansy darkly. "A lot of people are very afraid."
From over in the corner they heard a low moan from Ron. Hermione calmly walked over and stunned him again before he could get up.
Looking around apologetically, she said, "Sorry, but I thought it would be for the best. Please sit down everybody. Draco, have that armchair, it's the most comfortable."