Chương 68: Second.

Draco went back to the common room with a lot of things in his hands. Surprisingly Dumbledore prepared all the things within seconds and gave it to him. Now he carried a philosopher's stone with him, Pheonix tears and ashes as wells a quill made from one of its feathers, which Dumbledore gave him as a gift for his birthday. As for the dog which goes by the name of Fluffy, Dumbledore promised to give it to him, when the school ended. As suspected Dumbledore knew about his suitcase but didn't say anything other than, "You can carry it with you, can't you?"

Draco sighed in relief since the other person didn't ask anything else. He put all of his stuff inside the suitcase and went outside for today's feast. Outside the common room, Theodore, Pansy, and Daphne were waiting for him.

"Let's go." He said smiling.

The other's nodded and started moving along,

"So the stone?" Theodore asked

"In the name of Merlin, will you calm down." Draco whispered, "And yes I have it."

"Great!" Theodore's eye's lit up. "So when are we going to start?"

"When we have the chance," Draco said ignoring Theodore completely.

They made their way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night, walking the empty corridors. The Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Ravenclaw colors of blue and bronze to celebrate Ravenclaw's winning the house cup for the first time in six years, finally beating Slytherin. A huge banner showing the Ravenclaw's eagle covered the wall behind the High Table.

When they walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. They slipped into a free seat emptied by the other students at the Slytherins table. Draco tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him. He looked at Hermione and Harry who were looking at him as well. He nodded in greeting and turned around.

Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully, your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts..."

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twenty-two points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Slytherin has four hundred and twenty-one and Ravenclaw, four hundred and seventy-three"

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Ravenclaw table. They could see Cho and the other Ravenclaw students banging their goblets on the table. It was slightly a sickening sight. This is the moment where Draco realized that chasing after profit and avoiding dangers doesn't only make you intelligent but it makes you slightly evil as well.

"Yes, Yes, well done, Ravenclaw," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Ravenclaw's smiles faded a little.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...

Theodore looked at Draco who smiled in return. Theodore had a bad feeling about this.

"First -- to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Draco strongly suspected she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves -- they were a fifty points up. From the Slytherin table only Draco clapped and after a while, Theodore, Pansy, and Daphne joined in as well.

"Second -- to Mr. Harry Potter..." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and thirty-two points. They took the second place.

Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I, therefore, award twenty-five points each to Mr. Neville Longbottom and to Mr. Ronald Weasley."

Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother!"

But Harry and Ron couldn't rejoice completely yet since they knew that Daphne and Draco were sure to get some house points as well and as suspected, Dumbledore again raised his hands up and there was silence once again.

"And last but not least-- I want to award 60 points to Ms. Daphne Greengrass for her outstanding performance and bravery."

Daphne was shocked as she couldn't even move, Draco patted her back cheering her up with a smile.

The Slytherin table cheered loudly as they could, they had taken the second place and were only one house point away, but slowly people started noticing that Dumbledore had just said the last one but what about Draco. Theodore, Daphne, Pansy, and Hermione noticed it and all of them looked at Draco who was smiling instead of complaining.

"Silence." Dumbledore said, "As for Mr. Draco, he has already asked me something else in return so he wouldn't be getting any House-points."

'That old-geezer.' Draco thought to himself as he could feel all the Slytherin students and Snape glaring at him. He awkwardly smiled, "Well it was something very important you know, Don't worry I will make it up next year."

Some Slytherin's, especially the one in their final year were pissed off but they didn't say anything to him instead just mumbled something between them, while the other Slytherins were looking at Draco weirdy thinking why couldn't he ask for 2 more points as they could have won the house-cup.

"I see... for the stone?" Theodore asked vaguely as Draco nodded in return. All the other students were curious as to what Draco got from the headmaster in exchange for house points.

Soon Gryffindor's got over it and started cheering out loud, someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before but now he did it.

Harry, and Ron cheered for Neville happily as the previous grudge between them had been solved.

Worst of all were the Ravenclaw students who were pushed into the third place from the first.

"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, "we need a little change of decoration."

He clapped his hands. In an instant, the blue hangings became scarlet and the bronze became gold; the huge Ravenclaw's Eagle vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. Draco was sure that Snape was going to annoy him with a lot of questions later on.

It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out Quirrell... he would never, ever forget tonight.

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The next day the exam results came out. To Harry's great surprise, both him and Ron passed with good marks;

Hermione and Draco, on the other hand, were still focusing on the bet. Unfortunately for Draco, he had lost to Hermione due to one point as Hermione took the first place and he took the second. Everyone started doubting whether Draco was cursed to always come second by having a point less than the first place.

As for the bet, Hermione didn't have anything in mind right now so she didn't ask him for anything right away. "I will ask for something when the time comes." Hermione said.

Theodore was third and as for Pansy and Daphne, let's just say both of them passed their exams neatly. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his Potions which wasn't that bad. He thanked Draco a lot for giving him the notes nearly crying. Draco barely managed to escape from Neville who kept following him.

Goyle and Crabbe, on the other hand, failed their exams. Draco went towards them to have a little talk with them but they quickly ran-off saying, "We are going to change school next year anyway, so it doesn't really matter that much."

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Thought I could finish it in this chapter but it turned out a bit long so wait for the last one.