It's Hard to be Perky when You're a Malfoy

We scattered and regrouped in the common room. Gregory and I had our invisibility cloaks and Lione had the marauders map, a brilliant creation we discovered in our first year. It's a map of Hogwarts that shows you not just secret passages but where everyone is. Joseph was standing sulkily by the portrait hole. Lione checked to see if the path was clear while Gregory threw his cloak over Joseph and himself. We headed out. On our way down to the kitchens I whispered to Lione,

"How did you think of giving him a cookie?"

"He was regressing," she replied, simply.

"What?" I asked.

"Regressing; Jack reminded him of his childhood and he was... sort of reliving it. And children like cookies."

We reached the kitchen and Lione tickled the pear on the portrait that guarded the door. It laughed and opened up. We took off our invisibility cloaks and Lione ordered the house-elves to bring some cookies. We watched as Joseph single-handedly demolished a whole plate load.

"What's the real problem?" Lione asked.

Joseph, who seemed to have clamed down, didn't even bother denying that there were deeper issues than lunch boxes and hand me down clothes. "He tried to kill me," he replied simply.

"What?"

"He got a pillow and pushed it down over my face. I couldn't breath. I struggled to get away. I was running and he pushed me down the stairs. He said he was joking around but I saw the look on his face when he pushed me. It was so..." he floundered for a word. "Vicious. Melanie's got a look just like it."

We looked round at each other and Joseph stuffed a whole cookie into his mouth.

***

After Joseph had had his fill we put our invisibility cloaks back on and headed back through the school. Joseph seemed happier now he'd got everything off his chest. As we walked along a corridor we saw professors Dumbledore and McGonagall walking towards us with meaningful looks on their faces. Lione and I very quickly backed away but the teachers stopped before they reached us. They started talking quietly to each other and we took a few tentative steps forward to try and hear what was going on. Suddenly a tapestry on the wall flew up and flopped down unceremoniously. I watched it curiously, trying to see what made it do that when a man appeared in a way that I knew meant that he's just taken off an invisibility cloak (I'd seen it often enough). He turned and we got a clear look at him for the first time. Lione gasped. He had a disfigured face with a large chunk out of his nose, a knurled hand and a wooden leg. The weirdest thing about him was his eyes. One was dark and normal (although the eye lid looked cut to shreds when he blinked) the other was bright blue and moving quite independently of the first. It was spinning in all directions and finally rolled into the back of his head, causing Lione to give another squeak of shock. I was so surprised I couldn't make a sound but I knew my eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Dreadful weather," I heard Dumbledore say to the man, mildly. "And to think it was clear this morning.

The man grunted. Lione appeared to get enough sense into herself to whisper, "Mad eye Moody!" in my ear.

"None of those foreigners around?" Moody asked in a low growl.

"If you mean our guests from Durmstrung and Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore. "No, they are not around."

"I hoped to get here before they arrived," Moody continued. "But I picked up a tail. Lost 'em but now I have to avoid more prying eyes."

He looked around as if expecting to see them watching him.

"You know my suspicions, Alastor," Dumbledore warned. Moody grunted in affirmation. "Then you know none of them are suspect."

"Don't mean we can trust 'em though. Oh don't worry, they stay out of my way, I'll stay out of theirs. Just leave me to do what you-"

He froze and turned to face in our direction. He started striding towards us. Lione and I very quickly backed against the wall, out of his way. I only hoped Gregory and Joseph weren't around, but I couldn't tell. There are a lot of advantages to having two invisibility cloaks, it's roomier, you can carry stuff, you don't have to crouch and if two of us get caught the others can still get away. But you have no idea where your friends are. We were right out of Mad eye Moody's way but he turned sharply towards us, reached out and whipped off our invisibility cloak then leaned over to the other side of the corridor and did the same to Joseph and Gregory. He stood there, holding a cloak in each of his hands, looking at us accusingly. We looked at each other worriedly. Lione smiled nervously.

"Hi."

***

We were sitting in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, smiling. McGonagall was standing to one side tutting almost continuously. Mad eye Moody was pacing in front of us, yelling at us.

"What do you think you were doing sneaking around? Spying on me. Listening into conversations that were not for you to hear. A little suspicious, isn't it, creeping around invisibly when you're supposed to be in bed, tucked up with all the other students."

"I don't share my bed with any other students," Lione declared (she wouldn't have been Lione if she hadn't but I didn't think it was a good idea to anger someone called 'Mad Eye'). "I'm underage. It would be illegal, actually."

Moody focused both his eyes on her and glared. I'm surprised that Lione managed to stand up to him. She had the same reckless look on her face that she'd had when she'd spoken to Snape about the bloodsicles.

"They're just children," Dumbledore told Moody. "These four fancy themselves as pranksters I think."

"With two invisibility cloaks!" Moody yelled, waving them in our faces.

Lione jumped to her feet. "There are four of us. Two cloaks are roomier and if you don't mind," she snatched then out of his hands, "they are very delicate and you are being very rough."

She tossed them back to Gregory and me.

"How did you get hold of them?" Moody demanded.

"What? They're illegal now? You've got one too."

"You've got two."

"No, I've got none. She," she jabbed a finger at me, "has one and he," she jabbed at Gregory, "has one. If you're talking ratios we've got less than you."

"Whether you've got them or not it's not any excuse to be sneaking around spying on people."

"What were you doing out and about anyway?" McGonagall asked.

"We went to the kitchens to get food," said Lione, defiantly.

"After a feast?"

"I didn't have anything to eat," Joseph volunteered.

"At a feast?"

"I had something on my mind."

"What?" Moody demanded.

"None of your business," replied Joseph, fiercely.

"Everything is my business!"

"Alastor," said McGonagall. "It seems to me that these are just a group of harmless troublemakers. If we take twenty points-"

"If you take points from Gryffindor I'll tell everyone about him," Lione rushed, pointing at Moody.

Dumbledore looked mildly surprised. McGonagall looked shocked. Moody looked furious.

"I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be honourable," he raged in her face. "This sounds like blackmail.

Lione smiled. "It's simple really. We were out tonight, true. But, and correct me if I'm wrong, you weren't. You," she nodded to Moody, "aren't even here. If you weren't about and he and his magical eye weren't there to spot us then we weren't caught. We walked, uninterrupted - although I suspect we had to dodge Mr Creevey a couple of times - back to Gryffindor tower and we are there now, trying to sleep. If only you lot would keep the noise down. Oh sorry, you're not here either. I'm confusing myself now."

She flopped back into her seat as if exhausted. There was a look of dawning realisation on Moody's face.

"You still heard things," he mused aloud. "And you know I'm here," he turned to Dumbledore. "Can they be trusted?"

Dumbledore let his eyes drift over each of our faces. "Yes," he decided.

Moody turned to Joseph. "Who are you, boy?" he demanded.

"Joseph Bower," Starsy replied.

"Never heard of you. Muggleborn?"

"Yes, and?" he added provocatively, his mouth set in a firm line.

Moody ignored him and turned to Gregory. "You?"

"Gregory Weasley."

"Weasley? Which one?"

"What?"

"Your parents! Who're your parents?"

"Fred and Angelina Weasley," Gregory blurted, panicking.

"Fred, eh? I like Fred, George too. Couple of misfits but good men. Good man. You?"

I felt myself go red. "Lucy Malfoy."

He merely nodded and gave Lione a contemptuous look. "And you?"

"Lione Davies."

"Davies? As in Roger Davies?"

"That's right."

"That would make you the Lazaros' granddaughter."

"Your powers of deduction astound me."

"I could tell you some nasty things about your Grandparents."

"So could I," Gregory put in cheerfully.

Lione shot him a dark look and rose slowly from her chair with all the dignity of a queen, summoning all her strength. "My Grandfather," she stated her eyes wild. "Was not a Death Eater."

"Of course he wasn't," said Moody. "He'd never put his foot in unless he was absolutely certain where the money was. If he had been sure Voldemort was going to win I'm certain he would have jumped over to that side like a shot. But no, he follows the power. He probably leaked a bit of information here or there, ignored a few illegal activities under his nose but nothing we can prove. That's the point. Anyone could prove he was a nasty piece of work but no one can prove him a traitor. He lies, cheats, steals and manipulates but holds no loyalty to anyone. He's like a mafia boss without the work. Nothing's important to him except the nobility of his family."

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT!"

Lione looked shocked by what she had said, and glanced round uncertainly. She gave me a look of pleading and I jumped to my feet to stand by her side. Joseph and Gregory joined me and we all stared at him, me doing my best to look defiant. Moody looked back at us.

"You didn't say anything about me," I pointed out quietly (determined to say it, but slightly wishing nobody would hear me). "And my Grandfather was a Death Eater."

There was silence. Moody continued to stare straight at us.

"Well it seems to me," broke Professor McGonagall. "That there's no point in keeping them here all night. As long as they understand that this did not happen." She looked at us and Gregory, Joseph and I nodded, Lione was still looking too stunned to move. "Then they can go back to their dormitories."

Moody grunted in what I guessed to be an agreement but not an approval. Everyone looked at Dumbledore who nodded. We all threw on our cloaks again and headed out. When we got to the common room Lione raced off to the dormitory alone. Joseph, Gregory and I shared puzzled looks.

"What was that about?"

***

"Go on, Lucy, you can do it."

"But you don't have to if you don't want to."

"Of course she has to! It's her duty! Her destiny! How dare she disregard the great honour, the great opportunity that has been bestowed upon her? Her a mere-"

"It's one little step, easy peasy."

"Show them how it's done."

"-a great shame. How, then, could she call herself a true friend having disrespected her friends' feelings in this way. It would be the same as tossing them aside. They whom had not been considered great enough for the challenge and she considers herself greater still! Greater than the challenge-"

"Take your time."

"We're right here."

"We believe in you."

"-but no! No only fourteen year olds are allowed. No differentiation between those beyond their age! No division between the powerful and the weak-"

"SHUT UP!"

We were standing in the entrance hall the next morning. I was facing the Goblet of Fire with a piece of paper in my hand reading 'Lucy Malfoy Hogwarts' trying to summon up the courage to take a few steps over the age line and drop it into the flames. Lione and Joseph were standing either side of me being supporting and encouraging. Gregory was in his own little world, ranting about the unfairness of it all. I felt sick. To be honest at that moment I would gladly have switched places with Gregory. Gladly entered his name instead of mine. I was scared.

Lione was back to her usual self and everyone was deliberately not mentioning the night before.

We weren't alone in the entrance hall; there were a fair few people there. They all looked up and paid attention as I took a tentative step forward.

"Go on, Luce."

"You can do it."

I turned back to them. "I can't."

"It's just one little step," Joseph urged.

"I'm not scared of that. I'm scared of what'll happen afterwards."

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"No one will think any less of you."

"But if you do want to do it we swear we'll be here all the time."

"We'll even gag Gregory for you."

"Talking of which, Silencio!"

Gregory stopped ranting. Or rather we stopped hearing his ranting. He continued, unabated but silent, for a while then stopped and looked shocked. He felt at his throat then glared at Lione and Joseph who smiled. I turned back to the Goblet of Fire and took a deep breath.

"Get on with it, Malfoy."

I looked up. There was Jane Jordan standing next to another Slytherin. Jane is this really annoying girl who doesn't like me and therefore doesn't like any of my friends by association.

"Some of us have better things to do than wait for you to wet yourself."

"What are you doing here?" Lione demanded.

"Daisy here," she indicated the girl next to her. "Is entering the tournament. Are you?" she sneered.

"No," said Lione, perfectly proudly. "You?"

"No."

"Aww, is the 'ickle Janey too young is she? Poor baby Janey."

"You can't enter either." Jane protested. "You have to send in that evil little mutt you call your friend. Pet more like. But you like dark wizards, don't you, Lazaro. Mates of your Grandad aren't they."

Next thing I knew Lione was an inch away from Jane's face, struggling as Gregory held her back by her arms. The anger in her face very similar to when she had yelled at Moody last night.

"You foul little beast," Lione spat. "You stupid little oink."

Jane laughed. "Oh dear," she said with mock innocence. "Did I touch a nerve? Bad little me, eh? I wouldn't want to ruffle your feathers. Don't know what could happen to me."

"You bet you don't know what could happen to you," replied Lione, giving Gregory a little shake as she tried to break free.

"Really," Jane, showing no instinct for self-protection, leaned closer. "Is that an admission of guilt, Lazaro?"

"No," I was barely aware of myself speaking and had no idea how I had crossed the hall to come face to face with Jane. "That's a warning to watch your back."

"Or your daddy's contacts will come after me? Oh wait, your daddy's dead."

Next thing I knew my hand was stinging. Jane was clutching at her very red cheek.

"How dare you!" she cried. "You evil little hag, you disgraceful little creature you worthless-"

"Don't call me little," I warned.

"You're just jealous," Lione put in.

Jane snorted and gave me a quick look up and down. "Jealous of what? You'll pay for this, Malfoy. No one slaps me."

"Good!" cried Lione, still in Gregory's grip. "I want to punch you!"

"You're going to be the ones watching your backs," Jane warned.

She nodded at Daisy who stepped forward and dropped her piece of paper in the Goblet of Fire and the two walked off. We watched them go.

"Good riddance," called Joseph, who was still standing where we had left him, watching the whole display, amused.

"Gregory," said Lione. "You can let me go now."

Gregory glared at her and let go of one of her arms. He pointed to his throat with his free hand and held tightly onto her other wrist. I turned around, strode towards the goblet and dropped my name in. Suddenly everyone surrounding us burst into applause but they were very quickly cut off by a yelp of pain. Lione was rubbing her hand, grinning like a bee. Gregory was clutching at her nose. Melanie was standing there brushing her hands as if proud of a job well done. She smiled at me.

"I can teach you to do that to Jane if you like," she commentated, cheerfully.