Chapter 1235: A Bad Omen
Chapter 1235: A Bad Omen
There were already plenty of signs indicating that Potter had his eyes on Slughorn long ago.
Malfoy wasn't sure what Potter was up to, but this piece of knowledge made him inexplicably anxious.
For some reason, he had a vague premonition that Potter's plan would likely conflict with his mother's, and he was powerless to stop it.
The feeling was terrible.
"What are you thinking about?" Pansy plopped down on the sofa next to Malfoy.
"How was your Apparition exam?" Malfoy diverted the subject.
"I'm surprised you care," Pansy said feigning astonishment, recalling how Draco had been indifferent about most things since their enrollment last September.
"Just asking," Malfoy said, his gaze drifting over the Prophet to the two people sitting across from him on the sofa. "Crabbe and Goyle didn't pass. They said the Apparition exam was difficult."
"I found it quite simple, actually. Maybe they should have put in more effort during practice," Pansy said lazily, her body slanted as she rested her head intimately on Malfoy's thigh.
"It's not just us who failed. Ron Weasley didn't pass either," Crabbe argued.
"Yeah, almost half the students didn't make it," Goyle quickly added, as if eager to prove that he wasn't a dunce.
"Oh, the Weasley family sure produces a lot of failures. I heard that those three started practicing Apparition earlier than the rest, and yet they still didn't pass," Draco said, fiddling with Pansy's hair with his fingers.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
Pansy rubbed her scalp and glared at Draco with a grumpy expression.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Draco quickly let go, tucking a few strands of hair into his pocket as he apologized to Pansy.
"What's wrong with you?" Pansy looked up at Draco's face and couldn't help but complain, "You've seemed distracted all term."
"You know, a lot of things happened to my family last year."
Draco shot a glance at Goyle and Crabbe, signaling them to keep quiet, as he made an excuse for himself.
"Don't worry, it's just temporary. Things will definitely get better in the future. I heard from my dad that the Dark Lord will be making a comeback soon, and you..." Pansy said, as if realizing something, offering comfort in a soft voice.
"We're not supposed to discuss this. To be honest, I'm a bit worried about..." Draco trailed off and abruptly changed the subject, his voice stiff, "By the way, I might need your help with my homework soon. I don't want to get confined to the school again because of it."
"No problem," Pansy said happily.
"You two can join as well!" Malfoy said to Goyle and Crabbe.
The two boys looked at each other, confused about Malfoy's intentions. They knew that Malfoy didn't really care about homework; he was plotting something big.
Goyle and Crabbe guessed correctly; this so-called homework tutoring was just a part of Malfoy's plan.
Ever since his brief conversation with Snape, Draco realized that he was powerless to change his mother's decision, just like how Snape had advised him to give up on the unreliable method of murdering Dumbledore. Some things just couldn't be easily persuaded, and now the only thing he could do was actively cooperate with the plan.
Afterward, Pansy wouldn't get into trouble either, as all the students in the common room could vouch for her.
As for whether Pansy would be furious when she realized she had been used, that was a problem for another day. Draco knew he wouldn't be at school by then anyway.
"When do we start? Now?" Pansy asked excitedly, looking forward to returning the favor after Draco had helped her so many times in the past.
"I need to send a letter first. I'll be back soon, and we can start on the homework then," Draco said.
After bidding farewell to the group, Malfoy returned to his dormitory. He took out two prepared letters from his drawer, placed Pansy's hair in one of them, and walked out of the common room.
The more critical reason for Draco's willingness to cooperate was that Narcissa didn't intend to steal the Felix Felicis directly. Instead, she planned to have Draco try to purchase it from Slughorn using galleons.
His mother wasn't as crazy as Aunt Bella. If problems could be solved with money, she wouldn't mind spending it to avoid unnecessary trouble. This was also the reason why Draco eventually agreed to cooperate.
Of course, it was Snape's words that ultimately pushed Draco to make the final decision. A long time ago, he had confirmed with his mother that they had indeed made an unbreakable vow.
Once the plan to assassinate Dumbledore failed, they would all be doomed. Even if Snape wanted to use him, he surely wouldn't be foolish enough to joke about his own life.
Draco gently knocked on Snape's office door and directly handed over the letters.
"Here, please deliver this," he said.
Snape took the letter with the hair in it and asked, "Has the time been decided?"
"I don't know. You'll have to ask them about that," Draco shook his head.
"I will," Snape said, giving Draco a deep look. "Leave the rest to me."
After handing over the letters to Snape, Malfoy made his way to the Owlery to send off the other letter.
As he was about to leave after sending the letters, Draco sensed someone staring at him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to see Potter and his friends approaching, with Weasley holding a parcel in his hand.
"Who are you sending letters to?" Ron suddenly asked.
"That's none of your business," Draco replied sharply.
"I heard your mother, Narcissa, is currently being hunted with a bounty on her head. Aren't you worried that someone might track her down through your owl post?" Harry said maliciously, eyeing Draco's retreating figure.
"Scarhead, are you threatening me?" Draco stopped in his tracks and glared at Harry, his face darkening.
"Threatening? No, it's just a friendly reminder." Harry smiled. "Also, don't think I don't know what you're up to at the Room of Requirement. As a Death Eater's son, the Ministry is keeping a close eye on your every move."
"How laughable. Do you think you can intimidate me with your little tricks?" Malfoy spat on the ground with disdain and turned to leave.
"Harry..."
Hermione frowned slightly, unsure why Harry was acting this way.
"I have a feeling that guy is plotting something." Harry interrupted Hermione with a wave of his hand and explained, "His attitude only confirms my suspicions. Don't forget Scabbers' warning—that guy definitely has something planned with the Room of Requirement."
"But we don't have any evidence." Hermione pointed out.
"Some things don't require evidence; our suspicions are enough." Harry watched Malfoy's retreating back and murmured, "The biggest problem now is, what exactly are they planning?"
"I thought you were just trying to scare him before." Ron mumbled.
"Scare him? No." Harry popped a Muggle brain-boosting pill into his mouth and shook his head. "If I were Malfoy, I wouldn't use owl post. I'd get someone else to do it for me, like Snape, if he's reliable."
"But Snape is with the Order." Hermione reminded him.
"Who knows!"
"That guy is definitely suspicious."
Ron agreed, now more inclined to trust Albert's judgment like Sirius.
"Let's go."
Harry watched Malfoy's disappearing back and then turned towards the Owlery to send a package to Sirius.
Of course, the package wasn't for Sirius, but for Lee Jordan, regarding the Wizarding Card Club.
The Wizarding Card Club tournament had ended not long ago, and the situation wasn't ideal. Fortunately, the club still had a group of die-hard fans supporting it, and the package contained their designs for new cards. It was said that those whose card designs were accepted would receive a substantial reward.
Watching the owl fly away into the distance, Ron lowered his voice and asked, "What are you going to do now? Do you think Albert will be willing to help?"
"I don't know." Harry shook his head. "If I fail even with the use of Felix Felicis, I think that matter will require Albert's help."
"Don't put yourself down, Harry. Dumbledore chose you for a reason." Hermione gently patted Harry's shoulder in comfort. "If Albert really has a way to solve the problem, why didn't Dumbledore ask for his help in the first place?"
"I don't know. Maybe this is a test from Dumbledore. After all, I'm supposed to be the 'Chosen One.' If the savior can't even handle this small matter, how can I hope to defeat Voldemort later on?" Harry couldn't help but mock himself.
"Harry..."
Hearing Harry's self-deprecating words, both Hermione and Ron wore worried expressions. They knew the pressure that Dumbledore's task was putting on Harry.
"You know, sometimes I feel like a real idiot." Harry seemed to have opened up, venting to his two best friends. "I feel like Dumbledore and Albert are plotting something, and they never share anything with me. They always keep us in the dark. I'd bet my entire fortune that Albert definitely knows what Malfoy is up to, but he pretends he knows nothing... What a joke of a savior I am."
"Harry, are you alright?" Both Hermione and Ron were startled by Harry's outburst.
"I can sense that Slughorn is still very guarded around me. If this plan fails, I'd like to see how they're going to fix it." Harry indeed had a lot of pent-up frustration.
"But Harry..."
"Don't tell me you haven't felt that something is off." Harry interrupted impatiently. "Whether it's Dumbledore and Albert keeping secrets, or Malfoy secretly plotting something, or even Bella and Narcissa being wanted because of the Felix Felicis, or Katie almost losing her life because of that opal necklace, or the late prophecy left by Cassandra Vablatsky, the Seer... All these signs point to something big about to happen."
"These are just your guesses. We don't have any evidence, and maybe the situation isn't as bad as you think." Hermione said anxiously.
"Don't talk to me about evidence. We're not going to court, and we don't need that. If everything required evidence, I'd never be able to complete the task Dumbledore gave me." Harry glanced at the stunned Hermione and Ron and continued, "I have a feeling that they are all waiting for something to happen."
There's another chapter coming, but it will probably be ready tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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