Clandestine Whispers

>>>>>14 The Plan: Part A

"Pssstt..."

Ron looked over to his right, wondering why it was that Harry was whispering to him in Potions class. He knew that Harry was already trying his best not to get on Snape's bad side; not that the Potions Professor had a good side. Double checking to make sure that Snape was busy talking to Crabbe and Goyle, Ron slid his gaze over to Harry's and then ducked below the table with him.

"Harry? What's going on?"

"I have the Marauder's map with me, Ron. The last time I used it I accidentally tucked it in my bookbag, and I just found it crumpled up at the bottom. Anyway here, look at this!"

Harry pulled out the familiar, frayed, old yellowed piece of paper. Ron couldn't help but smile to himself at seeing the old parchment. It brought back such memories, and made him miss the good old mischevious days. Not that they weren't still mischevious and didn't still sneak around Hogwarts, but...it just wasn't the same anymore. Besides, with Hermione now Head Girl, she couldn't come with them anymore on their late night adventures.

Ron's gaze flicked over the map. What was Harry getting at? He had almost glanced over it a second time when he noticed a name that was quickly moving along it's way past the Hospital Wing. Blue eyes wide with shock, Ron stared at the name, unblinking:

Wormtail.

~~*~~

Wide, fat little feet quickly scuttered along the empty, sounds echoing in the halls of Hogwarts castle. Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson, waiting at the Hospital Wing entrance to ask if Draco Malfoy was there, were utterly oblivious to the short stocky man who ran past them in a flurry of black robes. Silently stepping in toe behind Neville Longbottom, Wormtail, rubbing his hands together with glee, waited for the boy to say the password and let in the uninvited invisible guest behind him.

However, all that Wormtail got was a long, half hour wait while Neville failed to remember the password. Eventually, however, classes were dismissed, and as students began rushing out to lunch, Fred and George Weasley passed by and told Neville the password (candy-cane wand). Grinning maliciously, Wormtail followed the lanky, slightly chubby boy into the Gryffindor boy's dormitory, where he began his frantic search all around the four-poster bed of Harry Potter.

After a desperate 30 second search, Wormtail snatched the key, stuffed it into an envelope, stuffed that into a pocket, and was ready to rush off of Hogwarts grounds from his current post outside Gryffindor common room, when suddenly, down the hallway a bit, he spotted Ron and Harry.

Stabbing his finger at Wormtail's name on the Marauder's map, Harry frantically whispered to Ron, "there he is! Right a few feet in front of us!"

And the chase began.

~~*~~

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

Bushy, thick black eyebrows raised in momentary surprise at the outburst of the other occupant; the boy was reacting to the potion in his blood earlier than planned. But then Darkel smiled; it was a hairy, gruff, grim smile, but nevertheless, still symbolized his pleasure at the scene before him.

His silver hair now in slight disarray, a few stray strands fluttering down to almost reach his fury-filled, flashing steely grey-blue gaze, Draco stood, feet wide apart, the tough, rusty chains holding the cuffs onto his wrists stretched taught. The book had only a few minutes ago fallen to the floor, forgotten. It had been an entertaining book, and educational. Draco had enjoyed learning a few more dark spells, and learning the history of Salazar Slytherin, as well as other dark wizards, including Voldemort. But what he had liked most about the book had been the practical and unpreachy way the author had written it's advice to the wannabe-Dark Lords that read such books.

But just when the book had been getting to the best point, a shudder had overtaken him, and his blood had suddenly coursed, speedy and hot, through his veins. A wave of overwhelming emotions had rushed at him; sorrow, pain, regret, hate, passion, disgust. And in his confusion as to what was happening to him, and which emotion to choose, Draco had unconsciously chosen anger. He was going to vent it all out furiously on the closest person; namely, Darkel. And now, with no real reason to be doing so, he was screaming in outrage at the man like a raving lunatic of Mungo's hospital.

However much Darkel found the young man's fluent use of colorful swearwords amusing, he was getting tired of being yelled at, and besides, he hated the boy. So, with a sigh, he stepped towards the middle of the room, determined to go down and tell Lucius what all the racket was.

Leaning down to remove the stone 'trapdoor' barrier, Darkel was caught unawares when suddenly, his wand was taken from his pocket. Turning around to reprimand and take back what was his from the Malfoy boy, he walked forward menacingly, let himself open to spells, and Draco stepped foward, now having regained some of his composure. Glaring up at the man solemnly, the chains holding his wrists stretched tuaght so hard that his wrists bled, Draco stated, "I would like some answers."

Before Darkel could say a word in reply, his own wand was pointed to his chest, and Draco angrily barked out the spell, "veritas!" Then Darkel felt like two hooks had lodged themselves in his heart, and as the interrogation began, the truth poured forth from his reluctant mouth.

~~*~~

Hermione was about to shout their names and ask Ron and Harry why they had sped around the corner as if running for their lives, wondering why they were rushing towards her. Then Harry yelled out, "quick! Grab in front of you Hermione; pull off the invisibility cloak!" Hardly knowing what she was doing, Hermione reached forward, and as she felt the strange silky touch of cloth underneath her fingers, though she saw nothing, she grabbed, whisking the silvery cloak off, and then grabbed with her other hand at the figure that had been underneatht the cloak.

Wormtail yelped at the sharp tug on his ear, but then, hissing as he saw Harry and Ron getting closer, he yanked the cloak from Hermione's grasp, and, flipping it back over his head continued to run. Harry and Ron paused when they stood next to Hermione; breathing hard, they handed over the Marauder's map. Momentarily staring at the name Wormtail before registering it all, Hermione yelled, "Quick, boys, let's go after him! He's up to something!"

About to protest, and still in want of breath, Harry and Ron were too late to stop her as Hermione ran off at full speed after the cretinous little man. Glancing at each other and wondering what had suddenly gotten into their friend for her to so eagerly chase, Harry and Ron nodded, and ran after Hermione and Wormtail.

Now running down the steps from Hogwarts castle, Wormtail's eyes gleamed at the sight of the Forbidden Forest in the distance. He knew the girl would chase him; she knew his presence here had relation to the Malfoy boy. Grinning wickedly, Wormtail chuckled to himself; the girl was leading Potter right towards his sure doom, they'd taken the bait, and Part A of the plan had succeeded!