Chapter - 62 : Unexpected Allies

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Explaining the stages of transfiguration wasn't easy, but I managed it in about half an hour. I took a brief moment to stand up and stretch, groaning as my back popped. I flexed my fingers, which were starting to cramp up after writing two lengths of parchment. I gave the Herbology books a dark look. I really wasn't looking forwards to doing that third essay.

And, I recalled, I didn't. That was the one that wasn't due until the day after tomorrow. Of course, if I didn't do it now, what were my other options for entertainment? Going to play chess with Malfoy?

The option was actually surprisingly appealing. He wasn't my favorite person in Hogwarts – that award went to my brother, obviously – but he also wasn't my least favorite. That was Parkinson. We got along decently when he wasn't hating on Harry. When he got on tears like that he turned into my arch-enemy. I usually spent my free time with Lily, Tracey, or Daphne, so I only spoke to him at meals and in class.

My overall opinion of him hadn't changed much since we first met. He was a cocky little bastard, but considering how he seemed to have been brought up, I couldn't entirely blame him on that one. I wasn't surprised he was whining for someone to entertain him. I was surprised he was willing to put in the effort of teaching me to play chess for it though.

Still, if he was willing to teach me…

I threw up my hands. "Alright, Malfoy, you win," I grumbled, and stalked from the dorm. Malfoy was still sitting at the table with his chess set, but he was absorbed in a book. He looked up when I sat down across from him.

"Alright, what's a rook?" I demanded. Malfoy set his book aside and leaned forwards, smirking.

"Right, let's do this."

Two hours later I could tell which piece was which and how it moved. As to how to play beyond that I had no idea. Malfoy had talked about openings and difference chess terms for quite a bit before I told him to just shut up and play. I was tired of listening to him and wanted to try it for myself.

Three games in I was getting my butt kicked from here to the Astronomy Tower and Malfoy was looking more and more smug with each piece of mine he took. I, on the other hand, was getting more and more frustrated.

"You play without any strategy," Malfoy commented as he snatched my last rook.

I knew the scowl on my face was murderous. "This is only the fourth time I've played, Malfoy. Just you wait," I muttered under my breath as I moved my pawn forwards in what I thought was a safe move. Malfoy took it with his knight. I groaned and smacked my head on the table while he laughed at me.

"You're terrible," he said gleefully. I mumbled something into the wood. "What was that?"

I tilted my head to glare at him with one eye. "I said 'one more cocky comment Malfoy and I'll turn that pretty platinum hair of yours pink.'"

"Nice alliteration," he congratulated. "You think my hair's pretty?"

My mouth dropped open. "That's what you took from that?"

"Well it's not a lie…"

"You're unbelievable!"

"I know."

I opened my mouth to rant at him when Tracey came hustling into the Common Room. Her hair was messed up, there was a tiny cut on her cheek, and her eyes were darting wildly. Her face lit up with hope when she saw me and she rushed over.

"Potter!" she cried. "Potter!"

"Merlin, Tracey, what's wrong?" I asked, standing and grabbing her by both shoulders. She looked disturbingly close to tears.

"We were leaving the library!" she cried. "We were leaving and these two older Gryffindors saw us. They started going on about snakes coming out of their hole, said we should all just be tossed out. Daphne called one of them a Mudblood and… and they attacked us!" she wailed, burying her face in her hand. I reached up and tugged her hands away from her face, grabbing her cheeks and forcing her to look at me.

"Tracey, look at me." I knew Mudblood was a bad word for someone who was Muggleborn, but getting called a name hardly seemed like a good reason to attack a bunch of girls at least three years younger than you. "Where are Daphne and Lily?"

"They're in the Hospital Wing," Tracey mumbled. "When the spells started flying I ran and hid… like a coward," she added bitterly.

"Tracey, there was nothing you could have done," I assured her.

"Lily got Stunned, she collapsed and hit her head," Tracey jabbered. "Daphne tried to duel them, but they hit her with some kind of jinx that made her swell up and then knocked her out. When they were gone I came out and tried to use Wingardium Leviosa to get them to the Hospital Wing. Flitwick came by, he saw. He took them and I ran back here."

"Okay," I said slowly, mind working to figure out what needed to be done. "Okay Tracey, I want you to stay here. Malfoy, watch her," I ordered, giving him a look that promised pain if he argued. He'd been watching this whole time with some sort of inscrutable expression on his face. Now his face went utterly blank and he nodded.

"I will."

"Right. You stay here with Malfoy. I'm going to go get Professor Snape," I explained slowly. "I'm going to get something for you to take to calm down. Then, I'm going to go to the Hospital Wing and find out how they are. You understand?"

I thought it might help her a little bit to know what the plan was from here, and it seemed to. She took a few deep breaths and nodded.

"Sit down," I urged, guiding her into the seat I'd just gotten out of. "Try and breath. Slowly," I stressed. "I'm going now. Malfoy, watch her."

Malfoy nodded, staring between me and Tracey. I stalked from the Common Room, keeping my paces slow so as not to alarm Tracey. Once I reached the hallway, I started sprinting for Professor Snape's office. I didn't knock, I just flung the door open and raced inside, panting slightly.

"Potter!" he looked surprised. "What do you think you're-"

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