Chapter Five

Harry sighed after Kreacher and Dobby disappeared. He had just ordered them to follow Malfoy. Harry had become obsessed with Draco Malfoy. Still checking the Marauder's Map whenever he got a chance, he sometimes made detours to wherever Malfoy happened to be, but had not yet detected him doing anything out of ordinary. And still there were those inexplicable times when Malfoy simply vanished from the map.

He had noticed early that Malfoy giving him strange looks as if he's not really sure what he was anymore…Still, Malfoy seemed to forget about it and was busy being suspicious. Then there was the fact that annoyed Harry that Snape hadn't really tried hard enough to investigate Malfoy…still, thoughts of Snape sneering at digust at Malfoy since Snape was aware that Malfoy was actually a Potter. Snape didn't seem to give any indication he was aware of it or started to detest Malfoy. Harry was surprised. He knew Snape hated him and his father and the Potters, and now that Malfoy was actually a Potter, shouldn't Snape hate Malfoy?

Days passed, about a day after Harry watched the memories about Hepzibah and when Voldemort came back to Hogwarts. Harry had just closed the Half-Blood Prince's notes when Kreacher suddenly appeared in front of him. Hermione had shrieked while Ron jumped, accidentally spilling ink on his essay.

"Master said he wanted regular reports on what the Malfoy boy is doing, so Kreacher has come to give —" Kreacher began.

Crack.

Dobby appeared at Kreacher's side, and said, "Dobby has been helping too, Harry Potter!" he squeaked, casting Kreacher a resentful look. "And Kreacher ought to tell Dobby when he is coming to see Harry Potter so they can make their reports together!"

"What is this?" Hermione demanded. "What's going on, Harry?"

Harry hesitated before answering, because he had not told Hermione about setting Kreacher and Dobby to tail Malfoy; house-elves were always such a touchy subject with her.

"Well… they've been following Malfoy for me," he said.

"Night and day," croaked Kreacher.

"Dobby has not slept for a week, Harry Potter!" said Dobby proudly.

Hermione looked indignant.

"You haven't slept, Dobby? But surely, Harry, you didn't tell him not to —"

"No, of course I didn't," said Harry quickly. "Dobby, you can sleep, all right? But has either of you found out anything?" he hastened to ask, before Hermione could intervene again.

Kreacher bowed again, looking furious, and then said, "Blood-Traitor Malfoy eats in the Great Hall, he sleeps in a dormitory in the dungeons, he attends his classes in a variety of —"

"Blood Traitor?" Harry frowned.

"Harry…you do realize Draco is actually not a Malfoy and he's a Potter," Hermione said quietly. "That means Draco is a half-blood!" Ron guffawed and said something about Malfoy have a muggle blood himself but Harry ignored him.

"Dobby is confused, sir." Dobby spoke up. "Harry Potter's friend says the Malfoy boy is not a Malfoy but a Potter!"

"Draco is actually Harry's brother," Hermione said before Harry opened his mouth. Harry glared at her as Hermione gave him a pointed look. She had been pestering that Harry must tell Draco the truth if he wanted to get to the bottom of whatever Draco was up to.

"Draco Malfoy boy is Harry Potter's brother!" Dobby squeaked.

"Besides his normal routine, has he been going anywhere he shouldn't have?" Harry asked, his eyes moving between Kreacher and Dobby

"Harry Potter, sir," squeaked Dobby, his great orblike eyes shining in the firelight, "the Malfoy boy is breaking no rules that Dobby can discover, but he is still keen to avoid detection. He has been making regular visits to the seventh floor with a variety of other students, who keep watch for him while he enters —"

"The Room of Requirement!" Harry realized. Then he mentally slapped himself for not thinking of that?! "So that's where he's been sneaking off to! That's where he's doing… whatever he's doing! And I bet that's why he's been disappearing off the map — come to think of it, I've never seen the Room of Requirement on there!"

"Maybe the Marauders never knew the room was there," said Ron.

"I think it'll be part of the magic of the room," said Hermione. "If you need it to be unplottable, it will be."

"Dobby, have you managed to get in to have a look at what Malfoy's doing?" Harry asked.

"No, Harry Potter, that is impossible," said Dobby.

"No, it's not," Harry said. "Malfoy got into our headquarters there last year, so I'll be able to get in and spy on him, no problem."

"But I don't think you will, Harry," Hermione said slowly. "Draco already knew exactly how we were using the room, didn't he, because that stupid Marietta had blabbed. He needed the room to become the headquarters of the D.A., so it did. But you don't know what the room becomes when Draco goes in there, so you don't know what to ask it to transform into."

Ron groaned. "Why do you keep calling him that?"

Hermione glared at him. "Because he's not a Malfoy."

"Well he still is, Harry's brother or not," Ron said stubbornly.

"You two can leave," Harry told the House elves. Kreacher and Dobby disappeared. Harry turned to his friend, "How good is this? We know where Malfoy's going! We've got him cornered now!"

"And then what?" Hermione snapped.

"W-what?" Harry seemed taken-aback at her tone.

"IF Draco is a Death Eater and actually is doing something illegal, then what? The Ministry might arrest your brother Harry!" Hermione emphasized the word "brother" to Harry. "IF he is doing something out of bounds."

Harry stared at her. He had never thought further than that. All he wanted to know was what was Malfoy up to, and he didn't really much thought of Malfoy as his brother. He avoided that thought much.

But now after what Hermione said, the question was: Did he care whatever happens to Malfoy?

Author's Note: I have five days left before school starts so I spend a lot of time trying to finish this story up! I left this short chapter here. But better than never I suppose.

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