The figure he was following was faster, and gave him just a little trouble keeping up without making a noise. Harry finally cast Muffliato which covered the sound of his footfalls as he crashed through the underbrush. After what seemed like ages, the figure ahead stopped abruptly and Harry had to check himself, nearly skidding on his bottom and half-crashing behind a tree.

His disillusionment charm was still on, but he had no way of knowing if Malfoy couldn't see through it. Despite his experience, he had to admit he was not as skilled as sneaking around as the Slytherin boy - not without his Cloak.

Harry needn't have worried, for the figure ahead who pulled down her hood was not Malfoy. He blinked, and wondered what on earth Daphne Greengrass was doing out here by herself. Then she moved further out of the shadows, raising her illuminated wand, and Harry could see she was not Daphne Greengrass after all. Her school colors noted her as Slytherin, and it was only confirmed when Malfoy stepped forward to meet her.

The smile on his face was different than Harry had ever seen, neither mocking nor insincere.

"Did you find -" the girl started, but Draco hissed for quiet and looked around. Panicking a little, Harry crouched lower behind his tree. After a tense moment, Draco looked back at the girl.

"Yes. I did. Just where you told me."

"I thought so," the girl grinned, sounding just a bit smug. She quickly sobered though as she looked at a point past Malfoy. "We have to move quickly. He's been searching the woods and if he steps through the wards -"

"Don't worry about him, Astoria," Malfoy drawled, with a light sneer. "The turf's been enchanted to keep him going in pointless circles. I told you I'd take care of things until you got back. What've you found out?"

"Anthony Goldstein's back. His mother wanted to keep him home a while longer because of his health, that's why he wasn't on the train with everyone else."

Malfoy's smile wavered then vanished. He turned his body, focusing on something deeper in the forest that Harry couldn't see.

"Good," he muttered, unconvincingly. Astoria put a hand on his shoulder and he made a move as if to shrug it off, but didn't succeed.

They were silent for a moment, then Astoria sighed sharply. "Draco." Malfoy didn't turn around. Astoria's voice gentled. "Draco, you can't have expected to -"

"Of course not." Malfoy retorted, laughing bitterly. "That's not what I'm best at, is it?"

"This time will matter more. You know that."

"No, it won't." Malfoy retorted contrarily. Harry couldn't help but notice how childish he sounded. Draco seemed to flush, perhaps noticing the same thing. He didn't see Astoria smiling slightly. "Not to them and not to anyone."

"It will to me." Astoria's voice caught and her smile looked strained in the half-light. Draco turned back to her, and touched her hand very lightly.

"How is she?" he asked softly. Astoria shook her head, and did not answer. Malfoy grimaced. "Damn him. If I'd been there just a moment earlier -"

"She would've suffered even longer. For now, it's . . . she'll come when I call. She still has a task to do." Astoria lowered her head, turning her wand in her hands. "Look, we don't have much time before Slughorn makes his curfew-rounds. I think they're ready, don't you?"

With apparent great reluctance, Draco let his hand drop from Astoria's shoulder, where it had rested under her black curls. "Yeah, probably," he said, almost too soft to hear. He drew a bit closer to the girl than seemed necessary. "We'll lead them into the school tomorrow night."

Harry went from curiosity to immediate alarm. Lead who into the school? He leaned forward, intent on every word.

"- during dinner in the Great Hall - everyone will be there, I should hope. McGonagall's making some sort of remembrance speech about . . ." Malfoy paused, swallowed and made an odd face. "About Professor Snape. We won't have to worry about diversions or getting the doors open." Malfoy patted the pouch at his side, confidently. "I've got that covered."

Astoria cracked a bitter smile. "Just think. All our hard work, all that sneaking about. A whole year of that will be over by tomorrow night. I guess being Slytherin will finally pay off, won't it?"

Draco did not answer immediately, but looked saddened by something - not that Harry was concerned about that. Who the bloody hell was Draco going to lead into the castle?

"Guess it will," Malfoy said lowly. He hesitantly offered his hand to Astoria and she took it.

Harry wasn't satisfied. It sounded like they were planning an attack, or at least something unpleasant. Why weren't they being more specific? Maybe Malfoy had heard him after all. But if he had, why had he said anything?

Draco was talking lowly to Astoria now. Arm in arm, they left Harry's line of vision, disappearing behind a large oak. Harry waited for them to stroll out past the other side, but they didn't. Puzzled, he went a little closer and saw nothing but moonlight patches on the ground between a grove of trees. He stepped forward, through where he'd seen Draco and Astoria step.

Harry walked determinedly and suddenly found himself marching out of the forest into the broad moonlight. He frowned and scratched the back of his head, wondering how he'd gotten out here.

"Hullo, Harry. Back again?" Luna asked. "You've got leaves in your hair you know."

Harry raked a hand through his hair, brushing them out and scowling. Luna tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I was about to say they matched your eyes, but you're right. You definitely look better without them."

Neville looked like he was about to burst from the effort of not laughing. Harry sighed and bid them both goodnight, mind whirling with questions.

* * *

"Harry. HARRY." A jab in the side, and Harry raised his head from his folded arms, blinking owlishly at Hermione. She scowled at him. "Honestly, you've been half-awake all day. Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Not much," Harry groaned. He looked up at the starlit ceiling of the Great Hall, focusing past all the Slytherin decorations in Snape's honor. All day, part of him wanted to get away and find Malfoy or a teacher or somebody and tell them what he'd seen and what he'd heard.

At the same time, he was tired. Hagrid was right, maybe he saw danger everywhere because it was all he'd ever seen for years - even in the safe haven Hogwarts was supposed to be. Whatever Malfoy was planning, perhaps it wasn't as sinister as he'd thought last night in the Forest.

Hogwarts was filled with the best witches and wizards that he had ever known; it would be exceedingly foolish of Malfoy to mount any kind of attack. Foolish and unlikely - Draco's family had barely scraped out of going to Azkaban. He wasn't going to endanger them at least.

Dusk had fallen again and he would have to wait and see. Harry reached for a treacle tart and bit into it. His blood sugar could use a boost right about now.

Harry found his gaze drawn toward the front where the faculty were seated. With a pang, he noticed Filch standing in his customary place, looking alone and defeated. Harry saw no sign of the red-eyed cat he'd always doted on beside him.

He looked away and looked across at the other tables. They were fuller than they had been in the very beginning of the school year, now that the Muggleborn and their families no longer had reason to fear being part of the Wizarding world. However, there was a pall of subdued despair hanging over the newly returned students that seemed to have nothing to do with the solemn atmosphere.

Hermione poked him in the arm again. "Harry, you don't look very well. Are you sure everything's -?"

A resonating chime of silver on glass rung through the Hall and students stopped their conversations, turning to face the table where the Headmistress sat. She raised her glass.

"As many of you might have heard, our feast together tonight honors the memory of our former Potions Professor and Headmaster, Severus Snape," McGonagall declared, "Without who's dedicated love we may have never had hope of winning the past war." With sudden heat in his face, Harry remembered who exactly that 'dedicated love' had been for and sunk down a bit in his chair.

Ron snickered unhelpfully and Hermione elbowed him in the side, gazing sympathetically down at Harry's head. He had wanted to honor Snape, but he should have known his mother would be mentioned in some way, even if McGonagall was trying to be discreet, and it was unexpectedly mortifying. As she went on, Harry wondered if Snape's portrait was somewhere in earshot and looking just as embarrassed.

He was more than grateful when Hagrid's delighted voice boomed down the Great Hall, interrupting McGonagall's speech. Harry raised his head to see Hagrid striding down alongside the Gryffindor table, holding something in his hands and beaming. "Neville! Neville - where are ye? Ye won't believe it!"

Harry heard a stir coming from the Slytherin table and turned to see Draco and Astoria, looking flushed and out of breath, quickly sitting down. Pansy Parkinson glowered at Draco, obviously getting the wrong idea of why the pair were out of breath, and wrapped her arm around Theodore Nott's to make a point. She looked even more put out when Malfoy didn't spare her a glance.

"Hagrid-" McGonagall started, sounding less than pleased.

Something green plopped out of Hagrid's hand and landed onto the table, hopping across plates, upsetting goblets and heading straight toward Neville.

Harry saw Neville's face go white. Slowly, Longbottom stood up and picked the toad off the table with shaking hands. "Trevor?" he asked, in a small voice. Hermione made a small noise and covered her mouth, squeezing Ron's arm. Hagrid had not stopped beaming and excited talk spread like rapid-fire along the Gryffindor table.

"Is it him?" shouted Seamus. Neville just grinned and nodded, blinking tears. A cheer erupted from that section of the table and the older students pounded their goblets and some whistled loudly.

McGonagall beamed from her seat, having heard the source of the commotion now and content to let it wind down.

But it wasn't to be quiet for some time, not when the doors of the Great Hall opened - apparently by themselves. Harry leaned back in his seat, trying to see and caught a glimpse of white. The shape moved around the edge of the Hufflepuff table and trotted into view. Harry made out the form of a white cat, its coat glowing with an ethereal shine. The cat paused half way and turned, meowing chime-like. It carried through the Hall and students began to turn their heads.

There was a scream. Susan Bones ran toward the door and disappeared out of it. Harry could hear her laughing, or sobbing, and in the next moment there were animals - flying beneath rafters, racing into the hall, running under benches and over laps and between the great tables. Students sat still in shock for a moment, then all of a sudden the Great Hall seemed plunged into utter chaos.

Anthony Goldstein stood with a shout, holding out his arm to let a black raven perch upon it. Harry saw Dennis Creevey running toward a tortoiseshell calico who cleared the distance between them with an energetic pounce. Seamus held up his rat, grinning ear to ear.

Harry couldn't keep himself from smiling and then saw Filch, who'd been watching in a kind of daze, give a sudden start and toddle forward as if every step hurt. He didn't make it far down the aisle between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff table, falling onto one knee, arms outstretched toward something.

Old Mrs. Norris was weaving her way toward Filch, limping more than usual but stubbornly making progress. Filch scooped her up, making heart-wrenching sounds in his throat that shook his whole body. McGonagall was just as overwhelmed, covering her face with her tartan kerchief and Hagrid - tears running down his cheeks - fairly howled with emotion. Students were screaming, laughing, sobbing, shouting questions nobody had the answers to.

Well, almost nobody.

Harry glanced at the Slytherin table again in bewilderment and saw Astoria staring at the white cat, who still sat calmly in the front of the Great Hall. The cat looked toward her, eyes blinking once in a gesture of love and he heard the faint bell-like cry echo into a final silence.

Astoria closed her eyes, no longer having anything there to look at. Harry watched her lose the battle to control her grief and hide her face in Draco's shoulder. It was then Malfoy seemed to notice the Gryffindor's scrutiny, and his protective glower made Harry look away quickly.

Nevertheless, as Hermione clutched at both him and Ron, tears running down her face - as well as Ron's, though he'd hotly deny it later - Harry couldn't help but smile. Of all the people who could have done something like this, he'd never expected it to be a Slytherin.

He was never more happy to be wrong in his life.