'It's not the fact that it's in my office,' said Lupin. 'It's the fact that's in this case. I might be mistaken, but I would imagine your father kept it in a case much like this one.' Draco and Harry both glanced askance at the case, which looked to them like ordinary glass. 'It's not glass,' said Lupin, correctly interpreting their glances.
'It's adamantine. A material that resists most types of magical interference and,' he added, looking at Draco, 'is very nearly unbreakable. Perhaps another very strong Whirlwind Charm might smash it, but I wouldn't recommend attempting it.'
'In other words, no point in my trying to steal it back,' said Draco, with a crooked sort of grin. 'Even if I used a Summoning Charm?'
'No point at all,' said Lupin cheerfully. 'The sword can't be magically located while it's in the case.'
Draco and Harry looked at each other. No wonder the demon hadn't been able to find it.
'You'll get it back when I'm sure it isn't dangerous,' Lupin said to Draco, and turned to Harry. 'Now, did you have something you wanted to tell me, Harry?'
Harry glanced from Lupin, who was looking gently inquiring, to Draco, who was staring angrily off out the window. Harry knew that if he so much as mentioned that a somewhat hysterical demon had showed up in their room the previous night, claming that it was looking for its 'other half'-which Harry now had no doubt whatsoever was Slytherins sword-that Draco would never see that sword again.
Harry shook his head. 'No, Professor Lupin. Nothing.'
'Oooh,' said Draco, as they left Lupin's office and headed off down the hall, 'You lied to a teacher, Potter. And with a totally straight face, too. Pretty soon you'll be turning into me.'
'Been there,' said Harry. 'Done that.'
Draco grinned at him. 'Come on, you liked it, admit it-' and broke off, as a tiny owl swooped low over his head, twittering madly.
'Hey!' said Harry, craning his head to look up. 'Pigwidgeon!' He held out a hand, and Pigwidgeon landed in it, hooting tiredly. 'Poor Pig,' said Harry, 'back and forth from Ireland twice in two days.
D'you have a letter for me?'
Pigwidgeon stuck out his leg, on which was tied a curl of white paper fastened with a red ribbon. Harry took the letter and released Pig, who flew up and sat on his shoulder.
Draco was looking at him curiously. Harry wondered if he was bothered that Hermione hadn't sent along a letter for him as well.
Admittedly it wasn't like her. She must have had something on her mind.
Harry tore the letter open, started to read, and went suddenly very white.
Draco looked at him curiously. 'Everything all right, Potter?'
'It's-it's from Hermione,' said Harry.
'I know,' said Draco, his eyes betraying a flicker of alarm. 'Did something happen to her?'
'She's fine,' said Harry in an oddly strangled voice. 'She's… fine.'
'Then what's wrong?'
'She's gone off to spend the summer with Viktor Krum,' said Harry blankly, still staring at the letter.'In Bulgaria. She says she realizes she's really loved him all these years.' He looked up at Draco with the expression of someone caught in a horrible dream. 'She's… she's breaking up with me.'
'Well, did you try looking under the sofa in HELL?' —
Buffy.
She's breaking up with me,' said Harry.
'She's what?'
'Breaking up with me,' said Harry again, still with the same look of utter, blank astonishment.
'She's not,' said Draco, with conviction. 'You're reading the letter wrong. Give it to me.'
It was doubtless a mark of how very shocked Harry was that he did so, holding it out mutely for Draco to take. Draco snatched it, and read it quickly.
Dear Harry, I saw Viktor this afternoon, and realized that I have really loved him all these years and still do. I am going with him to his home in Bulgaria where we can be together. You will always be a dear friend of mine, but I have realized that my heart belongs to Viktor alone.
Please don't try to contact me.
Hermione
'Not a lot of room for interpretation there,' said Harry in a doom-laden sort of voice. 'Pretty straightforward.'
'She can't be in love with Viktor Krum, she just can't be,' protested Draco, scanning the letter again in an attempt to find some other analysis of Hermione's short missive. 'I mean, I always figured if she left you, it would be for me. Sorry,' he added, looking up at Harry.
'But, really. Viktor Krum?'
Harry just looked at him blankly. 'Why not Viktor Krum?'
'Because he's a big stupid Neanderthal who can't even pronounce her name!'
'It doesn't matter,' said Harry hollowly. 'She doesn't love me. That's what matters.' He took the letter back from Draco, looked at it as if it were a weird foreign object, and stuffed it in his pocket. 'I guess we'd better go to class.'
