The Cruel Plan

Draco Malfoy groaned out loud. It felt like someone had whacked him upside the head with something heavy. His vision was blurry, but he still recognized that it was a Weasley who was the first person who appeared. It was kind of hard to miss the flaming red hair, even if your vision is all blurry. Furiously, Draco began to blink his eyes, hoping he was just imagining seeing a Weasley at the foot of his bed.

When Ginny Weasley heard the groan she started to head towards it, not knowing that it would be Draco Malfoy she was walking towards. Hesitantly she poked her head through the curtains, which had been put up shortly after she and Hermione had left the first time. She was shocked to she that it was none other than Malfoy who had groaned. It was obvious that the spell that had been performed was really strong, because he looked as if he had been asleep for hours, and not merely half an hour.

Although Ginny didn't like Malfoy, she did feel a bit sorry for him. Ginny wasn't the cruel type of person, even if she hated your guts she'd help you out, and many people took that as a weakness in her, which it wasn't. If she didn't like you she wouldn't be exactly nice, but she wasn't exactly mean either. Anyways, Ginny felt sorry for Malfoy, because from what she'd heard he hadn't been involved with peeving the Ravenclaws. He'd only been there at the wrong place and time. He didn't deserve to get hit by a spell, unless he was being a jerk. Ok, she admitted to herself maybe he did deserve to get hit by that spell because of the things he's done.

"Are you ok, Malfoy?"

"What's it to you, Weasley? Hoping to get some money if you help me?" Draco said, obviously he was a bit cranky.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "No, and in case anyone hasn't informed you yet my family's financial status is none of your stinking business, Malfoy." Ginny said. This comment left Malfoy a bit wordless, although he did give her a dirty look. Ginny smiled to herself, proud of putting Malfoy in his place, even if it was only for 5 seconds, it was worth it, and she walked away. When she reached Madam Pomfrey's two things happened, she told Madam Pomfrey, "Malfoy's awake." The second thing that happened was Hermione came in.

"Are you coming or what, Ginny?" Hermione inquired.

"Yeah, sorry I got held up."

"Ok." Hermione replied as she and Ginny headed towards Dumbledore's office.

When Ginny left, Draco congratulated himself on screwing up the first chance to carry out his and Lucille's plan. The comment that Ginny Weasley had said had thrown him off a bit. He could only hope that there would be a second chance for him to talk to Ginny Weasley. He couldn't exactly send her a note saying that he had been out of his place about the Weasley's financial status even though he was, and he couldn't stop her in the hallway, both ideas were very unDracoish.

Madam Pomfrey came soon after Ginny had told her about him waking up. Madam Pomfrey tut-tut-ted while she busied herself around his bed, within a few moments she'd produced a potion, which she handed to him. "Here drink up."

"What is this stuff?" Draco drawled as he sniffed the steaming liquid.

"Just a little potion to help get rid of the sleepiness."

"Oh." Draco said as he sipped it. At first he winced, it wasn't scalding hot, but it tasted like that gross Muggle cough medicine that we Muggles have to take, although he didn't know that." It tastes horrible."

"I know, the other two said the same thing. They're up with Dumbledore right now, and that's were you'll be headed after you've finished that potion, but you won't go anywhere till you've drank the whole thing. So drink up."

Draco grimaced as he finished his potion. When he'd finished Madam Pomfrey took the cup from him and told him to go up to Dumbledore's office." I don't know the password though, ma'am."

"It's ' Bubble-gum drops'." Apparently this was the new Muggle candy that Dumbledore had grown found of.

As Malfoy walked up to where Dumbledore's office was he began to think. He hardly remembered what had happened. Although he remembered some of the other Slytherins patronizing the Ravenclaws, though he hadn't paid attention because he was too busy getting to the Great Hall. He'd been really hungry, and had barely slept the night before. All night long he'd thought about why Lucille wanted him to inflict pain on Ginny, and he'd also thought of ideas to carry out Lucille's plan. Nothing at all had come to his head.

As Malfoy walked on involved in his thoughts he reached Dumbledore's office. He almost walked straight into the wall. Draco muttered, "Bubblegum-drops." Almost instantly the gargoyle statue jumped to the side to reveal the moving staircase that led to Dumbledore's office. Malfoy dragged his feet over to the staircase and just stood on one of the steps as it took him up to Dumbledore's office. When he reached the top he knocked. He'd never been to Dumbledore's office.

"Come in!" came Dumledore's unmistakable voice.

When Draco walked into Dumbledore's office, he was a bit shocked. He'd expected a dull office full of books from top to bottom. Instead he found a brilliantly colored round room with a few shelf's and pictures of past headmasters. In one corner he saw a phoenix, which surprised him a bit. Dumbledore was smiling at Draco, and seemed to patiently wait for Draco to take in his surroundings. Dumbledore as usual seemed to have the ability to know what you were thinking about, because he said," That's Fawkes," as Draco was looking at his phoenix.

"Do you remember anything about what happened, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Not really sir. Only bits and pieces. Mind you I wasn't really paying attention to what was going on."

Draco maintained decent eye contact with Dumbledore. As Harry sometimes felt when around Dumbledore, Draco now felt the same. Dumbledore's gaze seemed to be able to see past any surface no matter how opaque you made it, he always managed to see somewhere into the depths of your thoughts. "I understand. Is there anything that you do remember that would be of any help?"

"No not, really. I just remember that some of the Slytherins, though I don't know whom, were being mean to Ravenclaws. Then I remember waking up in the Nurse's office. It felt like someone had hit me upside the head with a really heavy object, except there wasn't any pain."

"That I also understand. Ms. Granger and Ms. Weasley just left a few minutes before you arrived. Ms. Granger believes that she has identified the spell as a Krefead spell. It's very advanced magic. Only a seventh year could have performed that spell, however we do have our few exceptions from younger years."

Draco didn't have much to say to that so he didn't say anything.

Dumbledore finally broke the awkward silence. "Well, Mr. Malfoy, you look like your tired. You should probably go rest."

Draco nodded his head and muttered," Good-bye, sir," as he turned to go back to his dorm.