Be Careful
39: Where You Watch
By Anne B. Walsh
By the time he made it to dinner, Draco was beginning to think he'd taken a bigger step than he knew.
The house-elves go everywhere, see everything. And the ones who serve Hogwarts are loyal to whoever's Headmaster at the moment, so they can't directly intervene as long as Snape sanctions what's happening, but that won't stop them from dropping a few words in Dobby's or Kreacher's ear…
"Short help is better than no help at all," he murmured, shoving past Terry Boot and Michael Corner, who were standing in the doorway to the Great Hall talking heatedly about something. "You take special lessons in door-blocking up there in Featherhead Territory, or does it come naturally?" he added loudly over his shoulder.
"Piss off, Malfoy," Corner snapped back. Boot gave Draco an odd look, then shook his head and returned to his conversation with Corner.
Whatever. I want my dinner.
Draco headed for the Slytherin table. As he took his seat, he felt a tap against his shin. He glanced down long enough to see Dobby, crouching under the table, and nodded ever so slightly to tell the elf he'd been noticed. An instant later, Dobby was gone, and a goblet materialized on the table next to Draco, already filled with pumpkin juice.
The unalloyed sort. Being offensive to the people I'm trying to help would be a bit counterproductive.
He took a small sip and watched as Nott and Zabini elbowed each other out of the way to get first dibs on the new pitcher which had just showed up.
Enjoy that, why don't you. And everything that comes with it.
Tonight was going to be fun.
Luna tucked a scarf into her pocket. It might be only September, but it was going to be cold being out in the Forest all night long, and she'd need to stay warm if she didn't want to get sick. Going without sleep for a week would make her easy prey for all sorts of diseases, both the ones Madam Pomfrey could help deal with and the ones she didn't understand about.
If I were to catch Fortensimo, I'd be thrashing about and shouting at the top of my lungs every few hours, awake or asleep, and no one would like that, whether I were here in the castle or out in the Forest. And the only way to cure it is a bowl of Daddy's Freshwater Plimpy soup, and Madam Pomfrey doesn't have the recipe for that.
Still, she was less uneasy about these detentions than either Neville or Ginny seemed to be. They would be with Hagrid, after all. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to them.
And I had another dream last night, and my dream-friend told me to expect help to come from an unexpected place…
Luna slid mittens and a hat into her other pocket, then added a pair for Ginny in case her friend forgot her own.
Tonight was going to be an adventure.
Neville fastened his outdoor cloak, trying not to look at the empty, dusty beds where Harry, Ron, and Dean usually slept.
Is mine going to look like that after a week of not using it? Or after two weeks, or four, or eight, if I don't come back tonight?
He shook off the thoughts. He'd been out in the Forest at night before and come back alive. Hagrid and Fang had been there, as they would tonight, but instead of Harry and Hermione, he was going with Ginny and Luna, and this time there was no fourth person involved in the detentions…
That's one good thing about tonight. Malfoy won't be there.
His spirits buoyed by the thought, Neville finished dressing and headed down the boys’ stairs to collect Ginny and meet Luna in the entrance hall.
Tonight would be tough, but he'd make it through.
Following Neville and Luna towards the Forest, Ginny hunched down within her cloak, wishing she had one like Harry's that would make it possible for her to disappear.
I hate myself. I hate the world. Why don't I just walk away once we're in the Forest and let something eat me? The way I'm feeling, I'll give it terrible indigestion, and serve it right…
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she recognized that she was in a bad mood and didn't really mean what she was thinking, but the thoughts continued unabated.
I pushed Neville into this, and Luna only came along because she thought we knew what we were doing. How could I have been so stupid as to think we could get away with stealing the sword? How could any of us have been so stupid as to trust that password Malfoy gave Luna? He probably heard us talking and told Snape what we'd said, and they set up a special password that would let Snape know the instant we got into his office…
And now that they'd been caught, the sword had been sent to Gringotts, probably locked in a high-security vault belonging to a Death Eater. Harry's best chance of doing whatever Dumbledore had intended him to do with it was gone.
We're dead. We're all dead. It doesn't matter if we live another few days or weeks or months or whatever, they're just playing with us, waiting for us to fight back so they can claim they had no choice but to kill us.
Or else—
Ginny's mind tried to shy away from the ‘or else’ in this case. She growled under her breath and forced herself to finish the thought.
Or else what Malfoy said to Luna in the hallway will come true. They'll still wait for us to fight back, but we're all three of us pureblood and they won't want us dead, so instead of killing us or sending us to Azkaban, they'll marry us off to purebloods they trust to keep us in line…
Her mind presented her with vivid images of what that keeping in line would involve, and she shuddered deeply. No. Never. I'll kill myself first. Or better, kill him—whichever him it happens to be—and then myself.
I hope it's Malfoy. That would make it all worthwhile.
A hand touched her arm. She jumped before recognizing Luna. "You look worried," her friend said, handing her a pair of knitted mittens. "What are you thinking about?"
"Things that will probably never happen." Ginny shook her head hard, trying to rise out of her momentary depression. "Luna, Neville, I'm sorry. This is my fault. You shouldn't have listened to me."
"Don't be silly," said Luna, draping a scarf around Ginny's neck. "It was a good idea. We just had some bad luck when Snape came back too soon."
"They're after us anyway, Ginny," Neville added from in front of them, turning to look at the girls. "We might as well try to earn what we're going to get."
Ginny laughed. "Now you sound like Fred and George."
"That's possibly the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."
Hagrid loomed out of the darkness, Fang trotting at his heels. "Share the joke, will yeh?" he said, handing Neville one of the two lanterns he was carrying. "Not been much ter laugh about lately…"
Before anyone could begin to tell him what they were all laughing about, Fang barked excitedly and took off running.
"FANG!" Hagrid bellowed. "Get back here!"
There was a panicked screech, and a grey streak of fur shot into the circle of light shed by the lanterns, straight towards Luna, who hastily dropped to one knee and caught it. Fang bounded back into the light and looked up at the small animal Luna was now cradling, whining hopefully.
"Stop that," Hagrid ordered his dog, bopping the boarhound on the head with one great hand. "What's this, then?"
"I don't know." Luna stroked the back of the little creature's head until it turned to sniff at her finger. "It's cute, though." She glanced at the animal's other end. "He's cute."
"Looks a bit like a ferret," said Ginny, grinning at Neville, who returned the expression.
"I don’ think so," said Hagrid, peering at the animal closely. "Set him down fer a secon’, Luna? I've got Fang, he won’ get loose."
Luna tipped the creature out of her arms. It tumbled to the grass and let out an outraged chittering noise, flowing back up and standing on its hind legs to scold at her. She laughed, as did Neville and Ginny.
"Mongoose," said Hagrid with certainty. "Odd ter see one here—they live halfway ‘round th’ world, an’ they're Muggle creatures ter boot—but he seems friendly. Funny color fur he's got, though…"
"Maybe a wizard adopted him as a pet and changed his fur to this color," Neville suggested. "And then he got away while his owner was staying in Hogsmeade."
"Wherever he came from, he seems to like you, Luna," said Ginny, bending to let the mongoose sniff at her fingers. "Are you going to keep him?"
"I think I will." Luna patted her shoulder, and the mongoose clambered up her arm and settled himself around her neck, creating an effect not unlike a fur collar to her robes. "As long as he'll stay with me, that is. He's his own creature. I won't try to keep him anywhere he's not happy."
"Wish more people felt like that," said Hagrid, releasing Fang, who sneezed and shook as though climbing out of the lake. "Come on, then, let's get goin’, got a long night ahead."
Ginny glanced over her shoulder as she followed. Luna was stroking the mongoose's head and humming to herself, smiling as if she knew a secret. "What is it?" Ginny asked, dropping back a pace to walk beside her friend.
"Do you know what mongooses are famous for?"
Ginny shook her head. "What?"
"Fighting snakes." Luna scratched behind one of the mongoose's ears, and it rubbed its cheek against her finger in response. "Especially poisonous ones, the ones no other animal will attack."
"Oh, really?" Ginny took a closer look at the lithe little creature. "Think you could give us some pointers?" she asked it, and smiled when it chittered as if in response.
"Maybe it's a sign," Neville said, bringing up the rear with the lantern. "An omen, like the Grim or a flock of magpies. To tell us not to give up."
Ginny nodded. Her earlier imaginings, though still frightening, seemed less possible now than they had a few minutes ago.
We've had one thing go wrong. That doesn't mean we should never try anything else.
Harry's still out there. Still fighting. I'll do my part to give him something to come back to.
Lifting her shoulders, she followed Hagrid into the Forest.
Tonight might not be so bad after all.
Draco snuggled down against Luna's neck and let himself drowse. Hagrid was saying something he couldn't quite make out, and it occurred to him that he hadn't yet seen the gamekeeper in the other world. Wonder what happened to him? Did he die in the Troubles like Neville's dad, or does he have some other job these days?
"Oh, Hagrid!" Weasley exclaimed, her voice bringing Draco back to full awareness. "You shouldn't have!"
Draco lifted his head and peered ahead. Longbottom was just setting his lantern into a holder at the edge of a clearing, across from one that was already holding the lantern Hagrid had been carrying. The half-giant himself was kneeling beside a stone-lined pit, adding sticks to the fire burning there. Four sleeping bags, one significantly larger than the other three, lay around the pit, and a picnic basket was set off to one side.
"They said keep yeh out in the Forest all night, an’ that's what I intend ter do," Hagrid said gruffly. "We'll take it in turns keepin’ watch, that oughter make yeh look sleepy enough tomorrow ter satisfy ‘em."
Draco dug his claws into Luna's robes as she ran across the clearing to embrace Hagrid, Weasley a few steps ahead of her. "You're a true friend, Hagrid," the red-haired girl said, smiling up at the blushing gamekeeper. "Thank you."
"Least I kin do, y'know?" Hagrid mumbled, hugging both girls at once. "Long's no one catches us, you'll make it through th’ week."
From somewhere out in the Forest came a sound like ripping cloth.
"The lights!" Weasley hissed. "Put them out, quick, someone's coming!"
Longbottom doused the fire with his wand before aiming it at one of the lanterns. Weasley snuffed the other one with an expert spell. Hagrid got to his feet, the vague shape of his large pink umbrella in his hand.
I'm not sure I want to know what he's going to do with that. Draco peered towards the sound, which was coming from the area they'd traveled through to get to this spot. But I do think I know what that was…
The noise was repeated, louder this time. Then several small bursts came together.
"Ugh," said Longbottom, backing up a pace. "Hagrid, I think we need to get upwind of whatever that is."
Weasley sniffed twice, then coughed. "Seconded," she said.
Luna pinched her own nose shut and began to move. "I hope you're all right," she murmured to Draco. "I know animals have a more sensitive sense of smell than humans do, but I don't want to use a spell on you, because I might hurt you…"
Draco rubbed his nose against her jaw. Don't worry about me, he chittered. I came prepared.
"Well, that's good." Luna stroked the top of his head with a finger.
The bursts of sound were coming thick and fast now. Longbottom and Weasley lit their wands, and Luna pulled hers out and lit it as well.
"Here now," said Hagrid, striding to the fore as they came through the last few trees to the source of the noise. "What's all this?"
Nine seventh years were leaning on trees or doubled over on the ground, groaning. Every few seconds, one or another of them would produce again the sound that had first given away their presence. Their school ties were uniformly green and silver, and several of them looked up in panic at Hagrid's voice.
"It looks like most of the Slytherins in my year, Professor," said Longbottom, peering at the other students. "Were you supposed to take someone else out for detention tonight?"
"No, they just wanted to come and guard us," Luna said, still stroking Draco's head. "To be sure nothing bad happened to us."
"It would be such a terrible loss to the school if we got hurt," Weasley added, her eyes fixed on Zabini, who was clutching at his stomach and moaning.
"Yer in no condition ter be out here," said Hagrid severely, though Draco could see his beard twitching with amusement in the wandlight. "Back ter the castle, all o’ yeh. I'll be speakin’ ter Professor Slughorn in the mornin’."
The Slytherins helped each other up and started stumbling out of the clearing. Hagrid's cough halted them. "Yeh migh’ want ter try that way," he said, pointing off at right angles to the way they'd been going.
When the last cloak was out of sight and the last noise had faded, Weasley stepped forward into the clearing, her wand raised. "Scourgificus aetheris," she said, waving it in a circle.
"Thank you, Ginny," Luna said, taking her fingers away from her nostrils. "That would have been horrid to sleep next to all night. I'd have been sure to dream of Strunks and trolls."
"Yeh said most o’ the Slytherins, Neville?" asked Hagrid as they made their way back to the campsite. "Who was missin’?"
"You won't believe this, but it was Malfoy."
Hagrid snorted. "Yer right. I don’ believe it."
"Don't be prejudiced," said Luna, relighting one of the lanterns with a tap of her wand. "Just because Malfoy used to be bad, doesn't mean he still is. Maybe he's the one who gave the Slytherins the potion that made them do that."
"And maybe I'm going to marry a relative of the Lestranges," Longbottom said, igniting the fire once more. "How are we splitting the watches?"
Timetable set—Weasley would start the night, Longbottom would take second watch, Hagrid third, and Luna the last—the four sat down to eat the food Hagrid had brought from his cabin and bat around ideas about who could have dosed the Slytherins, and with what.
I could tell you who, but you've already said you wouldn't believe it. Draco accepted a tidbit of rock cake from Luna. But you're right about what it was, Longbottom. Good old Flatulence Formula. I'm surprised your brothers haven't tried marketing it yet, Weasley…
Fortified by a strong mug of tea, Weasley took up her post at the corner of the camp. Hagrid doused the fire and rolled up in his sleeping bag, and Longbottom and Luna did the same. Draco found a comfortable spot against Luna's left shoulder and settled in.
"Good night," Luna whispered to him, stroking once more behind his ear.
Good night, Draco chittered back to her, resting his nose on her neck. Pleasant dreams.
"You too."
Ginny had no idea why she kept glancing back at her sleeping friends. Any threat to them would come from outside, not in. Unless Luna's little mongoose was something else, but surely Hagrid would have noticed…
Enough. Pay attention to the Forest. That's got plenty of creatures that could kill you all on its own without you making up more.
She faced resolutely outwards and began to walk the perimeter of the campsite, scanning all around for possible dangers.
Behind her, silently, Luna and the mongoose vanished.