Harry's Birthday - Part 1

Malfoy's eyes showed a spark of recognition although he tried to cover it. "Why is it important?" he asked.

Harry shrugged indifferently. "It might not be, but call me curious."

Some of Malfoy's haughty bravado returned as he said dismissively, "I don't think it could possibly be significant."

"What's not significant?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing, the hair on his arms suddenly standing on end.

"Whatever is being guarded isn't important, or he would have other, more important people guarding it. People that matter," Malfoy replied.

"Like you?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.

Malfoy flushed. "He gave me the greatest task of all, and I fulfilled it," he said pompously.

Reminded of Malfoy's role in Dumbledore's death, Harry felt his skin burn with indignation. "You didn't; Snape did. In the end, you couldn't do it. You're not a killer, Malfoy. Someday you might even be proud of that."

"What do you know about it?" Malfoy asked, his eyes widening with alarm.

"I know plenty. I know you were lowering your wand when Snape and the others burst through that door. Professor Dumbledore offered you a chance, and you were going to take it," Harry said, shuddering as he remembered.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "How do you–"

"Let's get back on track here, boys. What do you know about whatever is being guarded, Draco?" Moody asked, using the correct name for the first time.

"I don't know what or where it is, but he assigned Pettigrew, Crabbe, Goyle and Simmons each to do something and report directly to him. None of them is the brightest or most loyal of followers, so whatever it is can't be very significant," Malfoy replied, shrugging.

Harry's mind was racing. Wormtail was watching the Burrow, which of course meant watching him. That would leave the cup and the unknown Horcrux. So, what could the fourth person be watching? Assigning Death Eaters who weren't particularly smart was exactly Voldemort's style. They wouldn't question why or look any deeper into what they were doing, and if the other Death Eaters had attitudes like Malfoy's, they wouldn't believe whatever was being done was significant.

Wormtail was Wormtail, and if Crabbe and Goyle were anything like their offspring, they wouldn't be very bright. He didn't know anything about Simmons, but imagined he would fall into the same category. Why four of them, though?

Of course! The locket. If Voldemort never knew that RAB had gone to the cave and stolen it, he wouldn't have been aware that Harry and Dumbledore made it there, either. Dumbledore had said Lucius Malfoy told his master about the diary, and Harry imagined that

Snape would have told Voldemort about the ring, but no one knew about the locket. He'd still have someone watching the cave. Their orders would be to report anything suspicious or any visitors immediately so Voldemort could descend upon the place himself.

This was a start. If they could find these people, they'd know they were in the right place.

"Does that mean anything to you, Potter?" Moody asked, watching Harry carefully.

"It might," Harry said absently. "Who really knows what Voldemort is thinking?"

Malfoy dropped his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead wearily. "Look, Potter, I don't know if this Chosen One business is true or just more of your hype, and I don't really care. The Malfoy name is as old and respected as any pureblood wizarding family today, and we are being hunted like animals. Neither my mother nor I deserve to live this way. If you're going to try and end this madness, I'll do what I can to help you. It doesn't mean we're friends, and it doesn't mean I'll want anything to do with you once this is all over. If you're still around, that is."