Heart of Yours | Harry Potter

VI.

Harry seemed to be the only one who was worried about Draco's behavior in Knockturn Alley. Ron and Hermione seemed not quite as curious, or at least, they seemed to get bored of discussing it after a few days. He was also not quite brave enough to talk to Lalia about her cousin after their small argument in Diagon Alley. 

Lalia was blatantly ignoring them while she sat in Harry's current room reading as they discussed it again. Until Hermione's worried voice broke through Lalia's own thoughts. 

"Harry?" said Hermione in an anxious voice. "What's wrong?" 

"Your scar's not hurting again, is it?" asked Ron nervously. 

"He's a Death Eater," said Harry slowly. "He's replaced his father as a Death Eater!" 

There was a silence; then Ron erupted in laughter. "Malfoy? He's sixteen, Harry! You think You-Know-Who would let Malfoy join?"

"It seems very unlikely, Harry," said Hermione in a repressive sort of voice. "What makes you think -?"

"In Madam Malkin's. She didn't touch him, but he yelled and jerked his arm away from her when she went to roll up his sleeve. It was his left arm. he's been branded with the Dark Mark."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other before glancing at the angry face beginning to grow on Lalia. 

"Well..." said Ron, sounding thoroughly unconvinced. 

"I think he just wanted to get out of there, Harry," said Hermione.

"He showed Borgin something we couldn't see," Harry pressed on stubbornly. "Something that seriously scared Borgin. It was the Mark. I know it- he was showing Borgin who he was dealing with, you saw how seriously Borgin took him!" 

Ron and Hermione exchanged another look, but one look at Lalia made them clasp their mouths shut. 

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," seethed Lalia, standing suddenly and slamming her book shut. "You can't be serious." 

"Lia-"

"No! I am so over this! He's sixteen, Harry! A child, just like us! You don't know anything about him!" 

"I know, Lia... I know... but you do," Harry pressed. "and he asked to talk to you. You could talk to him and see if I'm right!" 

Harry was talking quickly and Ron and Hermione were shrinking away from the glare Lalia was sending him. 

She scoffed at the boy's words. 

"Unbelievable. You know what, I will talk to him. Because he's my fucking cousin and if he asks me to trust him, then I will, but he is not a Death Eater, Harry! Let it go!" With those words, Lalia stormed out of the room, making sure to slam the door. 

The following morning, they took the Ministry cars to King's cross. There was no cheerful Hagrid waiting for them at King's Cross Station. Instead, two grim-faced, bearded Aurors in dark Muggle suits moved forward the moment the cars stopped and, flanking the party, marched them into the station without speaking. 

"Quick, quick, through the barrier," said Mrs. Weasley, who seemed a little flustered by this austere efficiency. "Harry had better go first, with -" 

She looked inquiringly at one of the Aurors, who nodded briefly, seized Harry's upper arm, and attempted to steer him toward the barrier between platform nine and ten.

"I can walk, thanks," said Harry irritably, jerking his arm out of the Auror's grip. He pushed his trolley directly at the solid barrier, ignoring his silent companion, and found himself, a second later, standing on platform nine and three-quarters, where the scarlet Hogwarts Express stood belching steam over the crowd.