Early the next morning, in the Gryffindor common room—
Unlike the other Gryffindors who were already up and making a racket, Harry Potter and his friends all looked preoccupied.
Sitting to Harry's left, Ginny Weasley was holding a rather unusual book—its illustrations didn't move at all. She was completely absorbed in it.
"Ginny, my dear sister!"
Ron burst out at last.
"In three or four months you'll be taking your O.W.L.s. How can you still be reading those Muggle books?"
As he spoke, he tried to snatch Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species from her hands. Ginny nimbly dodged him.
"I'm just interested in what Professor Dumbledore talked about in Potions class. Dean went to quite a bit of trouble to get me this book…"
"But… your O.W.L.s!" Ron protested.
"I'll be fine. At least I won't end up without a single O!" Ginny shot back with a smirk.
"My grades might not be as good as Bill's or Hermione's, but I'll definitely do better than you and Harry!"
Ron gave a huff and said nothing more.
"Professor Dumbledore's interpretation of Potions really is fascinating… don't you think, Hermione?"
Ginny turned to her for support.
"Yes!" Hermione nodded. After hesitating for a moment, she added:
"It's just that I never expected…"
"Expected what?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Nothing." Hermione quickly shook her head, realizing she had almost said too much.
"I think you two should be more concerned about Harry," Ron said coolly.
Hermione immediately looked up, and Ginny promptly lowered her book.
"There's nothing to worry about, right?"
Ginny lowered her voice and spoke first.
"Harry told us last night… Professor Dumbledore showed him everything. You-Know-Who only has one Horcrux left. If that's the case…"
"But I can't shake this feeling," Harry said quietly.
"The way Professor Dumbledore spoke last night… it was almost like he was settling his affairs."
"Settling his affairs? Mate, you've got to be joking," Ron said, startled.
"I'm serious," Harry replied, his expression grave. "It felt like he had some other plan—and was handing this task over to me…"
"To us?" Ron pointed at himself in disbelief.
"You're saying we—a bunch of students who haven't even graduated—are supposed to take You-Know-Who's last and only… that thing…"
"Horcrux."
Ginny supplied clearly.
"Right, Horcrux!"
Ron said, his voice rising despite himself.
"How are we supposed to do that? Professor Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix are still around, aren't they?"
"Keep your voice down, Ron!"
Ginny shot him a look.
"Don't forget Professor Dumbledore has another mortal enemy."
A heavy silence settled over them.
"I'm done eating," Hermione said at last, breaking the quiet. She set down the piece of bread in her hand, though she still looked lost in thought.
"Let's head to the Transfiguration classroom. We've got fifteen minutes before class," Ron said.
Harry and Hermione had no objections. Ginny lowered her head again and went back to her Muggle book.
...
The three sixth-years descended the stairs, each carrying their textbooks.
At the seventh-floor landing, a pale-faced figure came toward them and nearly collided with Ron.
"Malfoy!"
Ron growled, glaring at the unwelcome sight.
Draco Malfoy glanced at him, then turned and continued up the stairs without another word.
"Filthy bastard, scum, butcher!"
Ron spat, gripping his wand.
If Harry and Hermione hadn't held him back, he would have rushed after him.
"You can't attack him here, Ron,"
Hermione warned.
"Don't you remember what Professor McGonagall said? If anyone's caught maliciously attacking another student in the corridors, on the stairs, or in the bathrooms again, they'll be expelled immediately."
"And what about what he did to Harry?"
Ron snorted.
"Why didn't Professor McGonagall expel him for that?"
Even so, he gave up on chasing Malfoy.
The three of them continued toward the Transfiguration classroom on the second floor.
"Wait,"
Harry suddenly said.
"Why was Malfoy heading upstairs? Slytherin has this Transfiguration class with us, doesn't it?"
"Maybe he's going to detention,"
Hermione said absentmindedly.
"Didn't you—wait, no… Even if he's serving detention with Professor Snape, he shouldn't be going up to the eighth floor."
A puzzled look crept back onto her face.
"Why are you two so bothered about it?"
Ron muttered.
"Whatever Malfoy's up to has nothing to do with us. We'd better hurry. Class starts in ten minutes. If we're late, Professor McGonagall will blow her top."
...
Draco Malfoy did his best to avoid any Gryffindors who might be nearby. Ever since his clash with Harry Potter, every Gryffindor treated him like an enemy.
Before long, he arrived at the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle, standing opposite the tapestry of the Troll Clubbing of Barnabas the Barmy.
Two figures were already there: a thin, bespectacled younger boy and a short, rosy-cheeked girl with twin pigtails. Both looked drowsy and bored, but the moment they saw Malfoy, they straightened at once.
"Stay sharp, you two idiots,"
Malfoy muttered.
"Last time it was your fault I almost got exposed by Potter. Crabbe, watch behind me. Goyle, move a few steps ahead."
After his two lackeys moved as instructed, Malfoy fixed his gaze on the blank stretch of wall and walked past it three times.
A smooth door abruptly appeared in the wall.
"Don't fall asleep,"
he warned, before striding through it.
Inside the Room of Requirement, Malfoy moved with practiced familiarity. He walked quickly, unaware of how much noise he was making—and encountered no one along the way.
At last, he reached the Vanishing Cabinet he had spent more than half a year working on—
"So… you're back again, Draco?"
a voice suddenly said from behind him.
At the sound of it, Draco Malfoy felt as though his insides had turned to ice.
He slowly turned around.
Someone was sitting on a table against the wall.