Chapter 25
THEN:
"All of you, hands now," Sirius yelled slamming the table.
The remaining six kids held out their trembling hands to reveal their silver scars. McGonagall took a sharp intake of breath and Sirius buried his hands in his hair.
"Follow me, all of you," The headmistress snapped
NOW:
Cautiously the kids stood up and started to follow McGonagall with Draco walking slowly at the back. He felt Sirius lay a firm hand on his should and he quickened his pace.
She led them onto the high table then through a back door which Draco recognized as the door that Harry was taken through when his name was pulled out of the goblet of fire.
Harry recognized it as well although as he entered and looked around he saw that instead of a single room there was a long hallway. McGonagall continued to walk down it and they fell into a single file line. There were doors on both sides of the walls with writing above them but they were moving to fast for Harry to read any of them until they stopped outside a door labeled, meeting room #4.
They looked around as they walked into the room, it was mostly empty apart from a long wooden table surrounded by a dozen chairs.
McGonagall sat down and gestured for the children to do the same. Over the top of scraping chairs, Draco heard Severus whisper a spell to lock the door and his stomach dropped slightly. He looked around at the others, who were all pale and slightly green, as he sat down. He felt Hermione grip his hand tightly as they sat down and he squeezed it reassuringly.
"Truth or Dare, really," Sirius yelled slamming his hands down on the table and making the kids wince.
No one answered him and he sighed and sat down as McGonagall spoke calmly.
"We need to know exactly what happened from the start," she told them.
"We don't know what the hell you guys are talking about," Draco stammered trying to sound honest.
"Draco we're not stupid," Lupin said with a sad smile.
Draco just looked down and dug his nails into his wrist dragging them slightly.
"We need to know what happened, it's important," Narcissa spoke softly.
"Nothing happened," Draco muttered again as he felt blood start to seep from the wounds he had created but he continued to sink his nails deeper.
"Then why the hell is there an almost dead boy on the school grounds this morning, why the hell is he unconscious and covered in cuts and why the hell was he under the imperius curse," Snape yelled standing up so abruptly his chair fell back and clattered to the floor.
Everyone's mouth dropped open and Hermione whimpered slightly.
"Severus, sit down," McGonagall warned slightly and the Professor sat back down in his seat.
No one spoke for a while until McGonagall stood up, "I think we should give them some time to talk between themselves," she said to the other adults who stood up and followed her out of the room.
Once they had left Draco cast a silencing spell to make sure they couldn't listen in.
"What do they mean he was under the imperius curse, he was with us the whole time and none of us did it," Harry questioned suddenly.
"No he wasn't, he went outside," Ginny argued.
"Shit, but who could have done that," Harry said rubbing his face in his hands.
"I don't know but why would they want me," Hermione muttered quietly.
"I think we should tell them," Pansy stated confidently.
"They'll tell the ministry, we'll all go to like Azkaban," Blaise debated.
"You really think they want this getting out, imagine the daily profit, 'Chosen boy and his fellow Hogwarts students, go off the rails and play wizards truth or dare', they don't want this out more than us and they won't expel us, we all know that," Draco finally said and everyone nodded in agreement.
"So we tell them, then," Harry asked.
"It's nothing they don't really already know," Draco muttered.
They sat in solemn, deadly silence until the teachers returned. "Have you decided to talk," Sirius asked.
Draco nodded, "On one condition," Draco murmured.
"Go ahead," McGonagall gestured for him to talk.
"This stays between everyone in the order only and doesn't get us in trouble," Draco stammered with desperation in his eyes.
"We can't promise you won't get in trouble but we can agree to not suspend or expel anyone," McGonagall answered calmly.
"Ok, what do you need to know," Harry asked cautiously.
"Everything, from the start," Lupin requested and the teens shared a look but nodded.
Harry nodded towards Draco who stared to speak digging his nails into his skin to calm his nerves, "Well we decided to throw a party and basically the whole year showed up," he explained.
"What about Ron, who was he with on Friday," McGonagall questioned.
"He was with me and Hermione because we have all our classes together on Friday and then we went straight back to the common room and studied before getting ready," Harry explained and the teacher nodded.
"I'm also assuming one of you stole the alcohol," She asked.
"It was me and Ron," Harry muttered, looking down.
"How much did you steal," Lupin raised his eyebrows at Harry.
"We took a couple of bottles of firewhiskey from the kitchen and then other stuff," He responded allowing his voice to trail off.
"What other stuff, where did it come from," Sirius questioned.
"Muggle alcohol," Harry answered still looking down.
"Where from," Sirius repeated firmly.
"My trunk," Harry said in a barely audible whisper.
"For fuck's sake Harry," Lupin yelled and Harry winced.
"Remus, let them continue we will deal with consequences later," McGonagall spoke nonchalantly.
"So we had the party in the shrieking shack and most people left at around 2am," Draco continued.
"And you only had alcohol," Sirius asked.
"Yeah," Blaise answered but Harry and Draco dropped their hands and Hermione went slightly red in the face.
"Boys," Narcissa warned raising her eyebrows at Harry and Draco.
"We had cigs," Draco muttered trying not to smirk at the memory of Hermione.
"WHAT," Blaise yelled obviously mad that Draco hadn't shared
"They weren't mine mate," Draco shot back, "It was from Harr-," his eyes widened when he realized what he had said and he shot Harry an apologetic look.
"Who did you give them to Harry," Lupin said with his head in his hands.
"Ron, Draco and um," He muttered quietly scratching his neck.
"And who," Narcissa questioned.
Hermione let out a small whimper and everyone looked at her with wide eyes.
Sirius's face was red and he looked like he was about to flip at Harry but Lupin placed a hand on his shoulder and he let out a strained breath.
"Continue," McGonagall ordered.
"Well everyone left and we were really hammered but no one really wanted to go back to bed," Draco stated.
"So You decided to play an illegal game of Truth or Dare," Snape said through gritted teeth.
"Well most of us could barely sit up straight let alone think rationally," Ginny shot back.
McGonagall ignored her and continued to ask questions, "Where was Ron during all of this,"
"He was with us the whole time, he hadn't left yet," Luna explained.
"So when did he leave," Severus asked.
"We had been playing for like an hour and then he went outside for a bit," Draco informed them.
"Why did he go outside," The McGonagall questioned.
The group shared an awkward look, "Does it really matter," Harry muttered.
"Yes it does," Severus seethed and Hermione blushed red.
"He has a crush on Hermione and Draco and Hermione were making out," Pansy spat out.
"Pansy," Draco groaned burying his head in his hands.
"Right so when he came back what happened," Lupin asked.
"Well I asked him why he went outside as a Truth and he didn't want to answer," Ginny muttered.
"He did answer eventually right," Narcissa questioned worriedly.
"Yeah it didn't take long," Harry said quietly.
"I still don't understand how he ended up almost dead," Severus asked with his eyebrows raised.
Hermione took in a shaky breath and Draco wrapped his unbloodied arm around her, pulling her into his chest.
"Do you think you can tell everyone," He whispered into her ear and she shook her head letting a tear roll down her cheek. "Do you want me too," he continued and she nodded.
"Draco what's going on," Sirius asked with a look of concern.
"Well the rest of us were cleaning up and Ron was alone with Hermione and I think he tried to get her to leave with him and when she refused he grabbed her and then she yelled out and me and Harry kinda threw spells at the same time," he explained quickly. Hermione let out a sob and Sirius and Lupin both looked like they were going to be sick.
"What spells were used," McGonagall said sternly although her face had softened slightly.
"The broken nose was Hermione and then I used stupify," Draco said calmly as he stroked Hermione's hair trying to calm her down.
"So I'm assuming Potter used sectumsempra," Snape muttered raising his eyebrows at Harry who nodded.
"And then you made the decision to leave him on the front steps because you were too cowardly to face up to your actions," McGonagall lectured and they all looked down ashamed.
Draco could feel his heart rate speed up in his chest. "So none of you used the Imperious curse," McGonagall asked and everyone nodded again except Draco.
The voices seemed distance and his head was throbbing. He could feel blood dripping through the bottom of the t-shirt he had tried to wrap his arm in.
"Draco," Sirius said worriedly standing up. The blonde boy was sweaty and pale, Sirius began to walk towards him and he pushed himself up from his chair stumbling backward. His white shirt was stained with blood that was dripping in puddles onto the floor.
"Draco," Sirius yelled again as he rushed forward catching the boy in his arms before he crumpled to the floor. Draco could feel his vision fading black and his breathing slowed, he felt like he was floating.
Draco's body went limp in Sirius's arms and Lupin rushed to his side to help carry the boy.
Hermione screamed through tears and jumped up trying to help but Snape grabbed her. "Let go of me, let me help," she yelled squirming through Snape's grip as Sirius carried Draco from the room.
Harry pulled her into a hug and she laid sobbing into his shoulder as she slipped from reality.