Chapter 17
The week went by and Harry slowly started to try to hang out with Draco more. It was hard, with all the scrutiny and judgment they got from their peers but Harry didn't care. He was his happiest when he was with Draco. The happiest he'd been in a long time.
He had started to feel guilty though, for abandoning the rest of his friends. He and Ron hadn't spent half of their time together like they usually would. It wasn't just that Harry was getting closer to him roommate everyday, it was also because they didn't share a room anymore and that he wasn't with Ginny. The Gryffindor group had indeed become more scattered. Harry'd seen Hermione studying with Cho Chang on Wednesday in the library, and he was pretty sure Ron was regularly playing wizard chess with Theodore Nott on the sly. Not that it really mattered, it was healthier for them to get out there for a while, natural.
Harry lay in bed, anticipation Draco's return, who'd snuck down to the kitchens to try and bribe the house elf's into giving them some ice cream. They'd been talking about their favourite desserts, so now they both had a massive craving for something sweet. He'd been gone for quite a while, at least half an hour. Maybe he got caught by a teacher, Harry thought. Before he knew it his eyes were closing against his will, and he was asleep.
He awoke to the sound of an ear screeching yelp. Duri had her front paws pressed against Harry's chest, meowing loudly at him.
"Okay okay, I'll take you out now Duri, wait?"
Draco still wasn't back yet.
For some reason Harry's heart sank to his stomach, instant panic rising within him.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
He grabbed the marauders map and opened it quickly, chanting the incantation.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Frantic, he searched for Draco's name on the magic map, but he couldn't see it at first. It was buried under, about ten other names that Harry faintly recognised. They were in an empty classroom on the way down to the kitchens.
Not good.
He rushed out the door, wand in hand it that direction.
When he got there, what he witnessed made him feel physically sick.
Draco lay on the floor, hands and feet bound together tightly by some rope. In a circle around him stood a mixture of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs Harry had seen once or twice around the castle. They all had their wands out and pointing towards the helpless boy on the floor.
"Crucio."
Harry didn't know who'd done it, but before he could do anything Draco's body started convulsing hard on the floor while the red light wrapped itself around him. He could barely look, his chest felt so tight he couldn't breathe.
Running towards him he thought he was screaming, but he wasn't sure, he couldn't hear his own voice. His heart was beating too loudly.
"STOP STOP STOP IT!"
The curse did end and thankfully Draco was still breathing. But it didn't look good, his eyes were closed and his limbs stood out on the dark floor oddly.
"Draco...Draco please wake up, please wake up." He called trying to gently shake him awake, but nothing.
"WHO DID THIS?" He roared.
Aside from his fear that Draco wouldn't wake up, his whole body was filled with hot rage.
"He's obviously done something to you Harry! You wouldn't even be talking to him if you were in your right mind. And if he's used an unforgivable on you then we can use one on him!" A seventh year Hufflepuff said, his sleeves rolled up.
Harry didn't realise what he was doing until he'd done it. He charged towards the boy and punched him as hard as he could in the face. It wasn't long that they'd scuffled when a few other students had pulled them apart. Quickly the people in the room began exiting and it was just Draco and Harry.
He couldn't stay here he needed to get Draco to help. But what could he do, he'd forgotten his bloody wand. So he bent down and gently put one arm underground the top of Draco's back and his neck and the other on the crook of his knees and lifted him. He wasn't even that heavy, and Harry realised how skinny Draco was.
"Oh god, Draco please wake up. It's me Harry, they're gone now okay? I promise I won't let them hurt you again, please wake up."
He was close to sobbing by now but he had to pull himself together and get him to Madam Pomfrey. He was half running but still trying to be gentle, just incase, he didn't want to hurt Draco further.
When they finally did reach the hospital wing, Harry just started screaming for help, hoping someone, anyone would hear him.
Thankfully someone did, and within a few minutes Madam Pomfrey herself was rushing towards him in her dressing gown.
"Alright Mr. Potter just calm down, Mr. Malfoy is in safe hands now, okay? Do you know what happened?"
It took Harry a few seconds do breathe and regain control of himself.
"They...they were using the cruciatus curse on him when I got there, but...but I don't know how long for, or if they did anything else, oh god he won't die will he? Please don't let him die." He was sobbing again.
"No Mr. Potter, he won't die, not on my watch. Why don't you run and get the Headmistress, she will most likely still be in her office. Go on now."
So off he went, running.
Upon arrival, when he tried telling her what had happened he must have been a blubbering mess because she hadn't the faintest idea what he was trying to say. The message eventually got through and they both rushed back to the hospital wing together.
Madam Pomfrey, again assured that Draco would be okay but that his body needed to recover so the best thing for him now would be to let him rest.
"I think Mr. Potter is in a state of shock Headmistress, I'm recommending a small tonic to help calm him down."
"Yes yes I think that'll be best, Harry don't worry you'll still be here for when he awakens."
Her kind eyes seemed to understand what Harry was feeling. So Harry took the tonic, as there was nothing else for him to do now but wait. He sat on the chair next to Draco's bed and before long he was asleep, clutching his hand.