Twenty-Four Hours

Twenty-Four Hours

Chapter Ten
By Michelle Malfoy

When the night won't fall

And the sun won't rise

And you see the best

As you close your eyes

And you reach the top

As you bottom out

And you understand

What it's all about

Nothing's ever what it seems

In real life or in your dreams

Don't make sense; what can you do?

So I won't try making sense of you

~Love Just Is by Hilary Duff

"Surely you must be joking," Draco insisted, laughing weakly. He ran his hand through his hair. How could a Slytherin - and a Malfoy, at that - possibly fancy the eight-time escaper of Lord Voldemort?

"I'm not," Michelle replied quietly. Draco's already panicked expression increased, and he was not only shocked, but worried as well. Although he was cruel (sometimes) and evil (occasionally), he still loved his sister and wanted no harm to come to her. And surely, if she were to fancy Harry Potter, her death would be Lucius's doing.

"B-b-but... but you're only ten! And he's fifteen!" [A/N: There you go, Epison2Delta, I've acknowledged her age. And Draco did it... wow, you must be soooo special.]

"Yeah," Michelle agreed. "But still... I mean, Weasley likes our cousin Fleur, and she's already twenty-one. And there's no way he likes me back, I'm just saying..."

Draco cupped her face in his hands, eyes alight with concern. "No," he assured himself. "This is just some sick joke, right? I mean, you're a Slytherin and a Malfoy... and a Death Eater-to-be! You know it, and Father was only humoring you when he 'imprisoned' you before." This was a lie, but Draco figured that if it would help his cause, so be it. "But if you love Harry Potter, then I'm quite sure he will kill you."

"I don't care," Michelle said stubbornly. "I love him. He rescued me, Draco, after all I did to him this year. So I love him, big deal. Maybe you're just jealous... what, do you fancy him too?"

Draco slapped her, his hand powered with his anger and hatred for Potter. "Don't you dare," he snarled. He turned on his heel and stormed out.

* * *

"Harry, something's been bothering you lately. And it's not this parsicny thing."

"No, Ron, something is bothering me. But if I tell you, you'll laugh at me."

Ron snorted. "Me? Laugh at you?"

Hermione walked in tiredly. She was carrying a heavy pile of books. Ginny arrived a moment later, pink-cheeked and looking just as worn out as Hermione was. "What's up?" Harry asked, flopping onto the couch and tearing open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"Ew," Ron said, "get those away from me."

"What flavor did you get before, Ron?" Ginny giggled.

"Smoked salmon?" Hermione suggested, shuddering.

"Crayola crayons?" Harry suggested.

"No," Ron defended, "I got worm guts." Ginny and Hermione both pretended to gag, while Harry erupted into a fit of laughter. "Oh, eat that one!" he insisted, pointing to a white bean with black speckles. Harry eyed it suspiciously, then popped it into his mouth. He promptly threw up - seriously.

"What was that?" he demanded.

"Bird shit," Ron replied with a cheeky grin on his face. Seamus walked into the room, heard him say that, and with raised eyebrows, walked out.

"Seamus," Ginny moaned loudly, "he didn't mean it in a rude way!"

"So, Harry," Hermione said, turning back to her friend. "What was bothering you?"

Harry sighed. "It's that... whenever I turn around, that little Malfoy kid is watching me. It makes me wonder - what if that was part of her Plan?"

Hermione scoffed. "No, Harry, because then she wouldn't have let you escape. Homocidal tendencies aren't the only reason straight girls look at guys, you know." She smiled.

"Uh, Hermione, she's ten. I don't think she's quite there yet."

"Not quite an excuse, Harry," Ginny cut in. She blushed slightly, remembering her own crush on Harry that had been going on since she had been only ten and had first seen him at the train station.

"Yes, well... how could she fancy me?"

Ron grinned. "You've got power, fame, Quidditch skills, money... I hate to say it, but aside from the facing Voldemort annually, mate, you've got it made."

"Ah, I'm going to sleep," Harry yawned, but Hermione held him back.

"Sorry, Harry, but Ginny and I are supposed to use you as the guinea pig for our parsicny." Ginny smiled apologetically and transformed into a cat.

"Quit doing that," Ron protested, but before he knew it, a tiny orange cat had curled herself into his arms, and he fell asleep.

* * *

"To love is to be a slave to the one you love," Draco recited, "and to be loved is to be his or her master."

"So?"

"You can't love him, Michelle. If you do... I'll... I'll tell Father!" Michelle rolled her silvery eyes. "Okay, I won't," Draco confessed, "but I'll tell Dylan."

"So?"

Draco could not think of a reply. "Uh... I'll do a restraining order thingy against him."

"Won't work," Michelle scoffed. "Then kidnapping Potter will be even more illegal."

"Oh, wonderful," Lucius's voice drawled, his head popping into the fire. Both children leapt into the air, and Michelle jumped into her brother's arms. "Is there something you'd like to share with me, Michelle?"

"Yes," Draco interrupted quickly. Then, feeling his sister trembling in fear, he changed tactics. "Er... Parkinson's been proven a parsicnist." Lucius stared at his son and quickly disappeared.

"Why'd you do that, Draco?" Michelle asked softly. "Were you going to tell him?"

For once, Draco decided to tell the truth. He lowered his sister onto the ground and sighed. "Yes," he admitted. "Yes, I was. But you have to understand, Michelle - "

"Draco, you have to choose. I can't confide in you if you're going to tell him all my secrets. Especially about the parsicny thing. So it's either me or him, Draco. Choose."

"Right now?"

"No, I meant later," Michelle snapped sardonically. "Yes, choose now."

"Then I choose you," Draco lied on impulse. At Michelle's astounded look, he laughed and said, "What? You're my sister!"

Just then, four girls walked in. "Gemma... hey," Draco greeted a redheaded girl, stepping

casually behind his sister.

"Draco," Michelle hissed without moving her lips, "about nine tenths of this school, including several boys, are madly in love with you. You can't file restraining orders against all of them."

"But I can well try," Draco pointed out.

"Hi," Gemma replied. "Michelle, Professor Dumbledore is looking for you two. Professors Snape and Varsossa are with him."

"Thanks, Gem," Michelle sighed, grabbing her brother by the wrist. She pulled him out of the room, annoyance etched all over her face.

* * *

"Harry," Dennis Creevery yelled. "HARRY!"

"What the fuck..." Harry moaned, rolling out of bed.

"You and Hermione and Ginny are wanted in Professor Dumbledore's office," Dennis announced proudly. Harry rolled out of bed, tugging at his red-and-gold pajama pants. The third-year boy beamed. "Oi! Colin! You have to fly up there, or a ramp'll show up and it'll start shrieking. God, it's like an alarm system."

"Thanks, Den," Colin shouted back, and Harry recognized his Firebolt being accidentally snapped in half. "Whoopsie..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! COLIN!!!!!!!" Harry shouted, running out of his dorm and dashing over to where Colin Creevery stood, one half of his damaged broomstick in each hand. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

Two girls walked down the steps, one from a staircase labeled Sixth-Year Girls and the other from the one labeled Seventh-Year Girls. One was wearing orange pajamas with feet and had her scarlet hair swept back in a ponytail. The other was in blue pajamas, her chocolate hair tangled and bushy. "Harry..." Ginny began, stepping over Colin and gazing at the broomstick. "Oh, Harry..."

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" a booming voice announced. "GINEVRA ALLISON WEASLEY!" Harry and Ginny whirled around to see what was going on. "HERMIONE DANIELLE GRANGER!" the voice screamed. "DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY! MICHELLE ELISABETH MALFOY! REPORT TO THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY!" Harry locked arms with Hermione on one side and Ginny on the other side, then began to run.

"Uh-uh-uh," Ginny said, and with a whoosh they were standing inside Dumbledore's office. Hermione was stationed next to her, and Harry was on the floor. The two girls helped him up, and within moments Draco and Michelle were standing right beside them.

"Sugar quill," Draco muttered, and the door opened.

"How'd you know that?" Ginny demanded, still reserved towards the boy.

"His password is always the Candy of the Week at Honeydukes," Draco replied, whipping out a magazine labeled What's New In Hogsmeade. He flipped it open to page 4 and read aloud, "Honeydukes Candy Shop has been having excellent business lately, particularly with the candy of the week, Sugar Quills."

"Oh," Ginny sighed. The five of them walked to the office quietly and were amazed at what they saw.

The office was in ruins. The desk lay upside down on the ground, Fawkes's cage was empty and dripping with blood, the countless books were scattered and burnt. Sheafs of parchment were shredded and on the wall, written in green ink, were the words "Be afraid, supporters of Dumbledore. Evil has yet to overcome."

Ginny screamed, and Harry held her in his arms, gently releasing her hair from the ponytail and stroking it quietly. Hermione whispered, "calm down" and, of course, Ginny did.

"Supporters of Dumbledore?" Draco whispered. "I am not a Dumbledore suppo--"

"Draco," Michelle said warningly, "you promised." Draco moaned.

"I didn't mean - "

"I don't care. You are going to help us figure this out."

"I'm not a flipping auror!" Draco exclaimed.

"Thank heavens," Hermione muttered.

"I can do the Unforgivables, Granger."

Hermione laughed. "I'd like to see you try."

"Draco, don't," Michelle insisted. Then to Hermione, she snapped, "Don't provoke him, please."

Hermione sulked. "It's fun, you should try it." Michelle grinned.

"Yeah, it is, but still. This is serious."

"Try contacting Snape," Dracco suggested.

He held out a tiny goblet. Michelle reached in her pocket, pulled out a pinch of a powdery thing, and tossed it into the goblet, announcing "Severus Snape!"

A moment later, the goblet filled with black water and overflowed onto Draco's shoes. He squealed and leapt back angrily. "Okay, so he can't be contacted," Michelle mused. "That must mean..."

"I don't know," Draco filled in.

"Okay, shut up, all of you," Harry yelled over all the noise. "First of all, Malfoy, you check the writing. You have the most experience with Death Eaters. Do you recognize the handwriting?"

Draco nodded slowly, pushing his hair back. "It's my dad's."

"Figures," Harry muttered. "Okay, and which Death Eater is a pyro?" he asked, indicating Fawkes's cage.

"Lots of them," Michelle replied eagerly. "But Nott is really obsessed with fire. I mean, seriously." Draco nodded.

"Not your father?"

"Are you kidding?" Draco asked, amused. "Malfoys are too refined to be pyros. No way!"

"So we know that more than one Death Eaters were here," Harry mused. "Who likes tearing things?"

"Macnair," all but Ginny chorused.

"And Crabbe and Goyle would've done the desk?" Harry asked. Draco nodded.

"What about the portraits?" Hermione asked, pointing to the ripped portraits of ex-Heads of Hogwarts.

"Macnair, or maybe Avery," Draco decided. "I bet it was Avery."

"What about this?" Ginny asked, reaching into the only opened drawer of the flipped-over desk and pulling out a piece of parchment that had been sticking out.

To whomever may be reading this:

If this letter is in your hands, then I am, in fact, dead. However, it also means that I foresaw this occurance and have written a will. On the reverse of this paper are instructions for Harry Potter, Ginevra Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, and Michelle Malfoy. I trust that none other than those aforementioned people will read my directions.

In conclusion, I offer my thanks to whomever is reading this, and give complete confidence to Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Ginevra Weasley, and Michelle Malfoy. May you six prove successful.

Sincerely,

Albus Percival Wulfrig Brian Dumbledore

"He trusts me?" Michelle and Draco demanded in unison.

"No way," Draco declared.

"Read the back," Hermione ordered Harry.

Harry, Hermione, Draco, Michelle, and Ginevra:

I am glad that you have chosen to follow my directions and lead the world to victory. With your help, Good will triumph over Evil.

Your task, although I will not be able to help you, is very complex.

Harry, you will be the one who will eventually defeat Voldemort. You will reduce him to ruins, but fight in the battle as strongly as possible. You cannot lose if you believe in yourself. "Kindergarten philosophy," scoffed Draco. Stay true to the path of good at whatever cost.*

Hermione, you will be the one to outwit the Death Eaters, to foil their plan with your quick thinking and logic. They will attempt to fool you, but you, Hermione, will realize that although the trick will be filled with verisimilitude, it will be impurified by Evil and therefore you will see through it.

Draco, your task is perhaps as complex as Harry's. "Oh, no," Draco wailed. You are to work together with the others and defeat your father. In doing so you will release yourself from his power over you.

Ginevra, throughout the battle you will be fighting stronger than anyone else. "Yeah, right," Draco drawled. This earned him a slap from Hermione. You will lure Voldemort into the powers of Good, but you will turn him over to Harry so that he will be the one who eventually kills him.

Michelle, you will defeat all the Death Eaters (excluding your father) due to an impromptu decision.

Good luck to all of you, and may your quest for good end in a reward.

Sincerely,

Albus Percival Wulfrig Brian Dumbledore

For a moment nobody could say anything. Then, Harry said, "What if we don't win? I mean, we really might not. So what if we don't?"

"I guess the reverse of all these things will happen," Michelle suggested. "Maybe Fa-- Lucius will capture Draco, and in doing so increase his power over him. And Voldemort lures Ginny over to the side of Evil, then kills her. And the Death Eaters - but not Lucius - will work together and defeat me."

"And I'll fall into a trap," Hermione said, "and they'll kill me. And..."

"Don't say it," Harry barked. "Don't say what'll happen to me. I know already."

"It's okay," Michelle sighed, and before she could realize what she was doing, she wrapped her arm around the older boy.

"We're on our own," Harry murmured.

"For the first time ever," Hermione supplied, sounding horrified.

"And possibly the last," muttered Draco.

And though the looks the others gave him were horrified and shocked, he could tell that they all believed it to be true.