ItwasonMondaythatDraofirstrealizedsomethingwasverywrong.Tostartoffhewastetobreakfastthatmandbarelyhadtimetoeat,letalonereadhisfather’sustomaryletter,sohetukedtheletterawayinhisbagtoreadter.
Afterssesthatday,Draourledupinfrontofthefirepetoreadtheletterbeforestartingonhisshoolwork.Thefirstthinghenotiedwasthattheletterwasfoldedoutward,sothatthewordsouldbeseen.Hisfatherneverfoldedlettersoutward,beausethenotherpeopleouldreadthewritingastheintendedreipientwasopeningit.Still,Draoontinuedwithoutgivingitmuhthought.
AsDraoreadhegotmoreandmoreworried.Hisfatherneverwrotetohiminthisway.Yesitsoundedlikehisfather,andanyoneelsewouldnothavebeenfooled,butDraoknewbetter.ReadingtheletterwaslikewalkingdownDiagonAllyinpubliwithhisfather.ThewordsradiatedtheprestigeoftheMalfoynameandnoneoftheemotionsthathisfathermighthavefeltwhilewritingtohisson.
TheletterwasrippedfromDrao’shandsbyawhite-faedHarryPotterasDraofinishedreadinghisfather’ssignature.Just‘Yourfather,LuiusMalfoy’.HisfatheralwayssignedhisletterstoDrao,‘Yourlovingfather,LuiusMalfoy’beausesuhthingsouldnotbesaidinpubli.
“Harrywhatareyou—”
HarryturnedtheletteraroundwordlesslyandDraosuddenlyrealizedthereasontheletterwasfoldedoutwardinsteadofinward.Throughthethikparhment,foldedoutward,yououldnottellthatthebakoftheparhmentwassmearedinblood.
Chapter28:BkTruth,BkWings
TheRoomofRequirementhadmadeitselfintoaave.Thewallswerelimestone,withaloweilingandamossoveredfloor.Theroomwasverysmall,sosmallinfatthatthethreepeopleinsidetheroomhadtoduktoavoidhittingtheirheadsontheeiling.Theavewaswhattheroomthoughtofastheperfetpetospeakofserets,andsothethreeGryffindorssettleddownasomfortablyastheyouldagainsttheoldstone.
“There’ssomethingwrongwithDrao.”Harrysaid,lookingdownatthemossasifitwasthemostiingthinghehadeverseen.
herRonnorHermionewerefooledbyhisantis.Ron,though,waspuzzledatHarry’swords.“Butheseems…er,finetome.Well…hedoesn’tatanydifferentlythanhenormallydoes.”
“No,he’smorenervousthanusual.”Hermioneobserved.
“Exatly.”Harrysaid.“It’slikehe’spnningsomethingthathedoesn’twantanyonetofindout.Anditstartedafterhegotthatletter.”
“Butthatwasaweekago!”Ronprotested.
“Yes,andhe’sreeivedtwootherlettersfromhisfather,bothasfalseasthefirstone.”Harryexpined.
“Falseletters?”
“That’sallhe’lltellmeaboutthem.Thattheyaren’treallyfromhisfather.”
Hermionefrownedasifthinking.“Butwhywouldn’thisfatherwritetoMalfoy?”
“Ifheouldn’t,”Harryreplied,lookingupathisfriendsforthefirsttimesinetheoionhadbegun.
“Butwhyouldn’thewritetoMalfoy?”Ronasked.“He’sdoneitforfiveyears,sowhat’sdifferentnow?”
Harryshrugged.“Idon’tknow.Draodoesn’tknow.Andnoonewhoknowsistelling.”