Disclaimer: I do not own any of the ideas for this story, not even the idea for Nott's character, which I got off of JKR's site. *Sigh* I'm just not that creative.
Mudbloods Beware: A Prologue
"Mudbloods Beware," sneered Draco Malfoy. At his words, a door concealed in the wall opened to reveal a large passage. Malfoy and his friends/unofficial guardians, Crabbe and Goyle, walked into a dungeon area that served as the Slytherin Common Room. Several torches, some of which were glowing green or silver, lit the room. Hanging from the ceiling were several green lanterns. Malfoy sank into a chair that was regal in design, and had snakes carved into the darkly stained wood. This was one of many similar chairs, but Malfoy's was the grandest. The pompous boy had claimed it upon entry into the room on his first night. It was his throne. It sat closest to the fireplace and carved mantel, made to look like two giant snakes were crawling from an egg that was being sat on by a frog. The design might have been considered brilliance if it weren't so repulsive.
"You should have seen Longbottom's face when I dumped extra salamander's blood into his strengthening solution; he looked like he might cry. Then Snape took all those points from Gryffindor, and I nearly died from laughing!" Malfoy had settled into his usual routine of discussing the tricks he had played on various people that day, and as usual, the common room was grateful to hear their favorite prefect's tales.
"And you did this while Umbridge was watching," breathed Pansy Parkinson.
"You're so brave," exclaimed Millicent Bulstrode.
"Is tricking squibs and slurring mudbloods all you ever do?" asked a Slytherin boy in fifth year with Malfoy. He had been lurking in a shadowy corner nearby, but when he saw Malfoy's fan club gathering, he decided to go have some fun.
Several gasps came from the girls surrounding Draco, and the entire common room turned to watch. They were geared up for a fight. Everyone watched Malfoy, waiting anxiously for his retort. To many of the younger Slytherins especially, Malfoy was something of a hero.
"Why, do you care Theodore, are you going to defend them?"
"No, I was just wondering why someone with a father like yours, practically a legend at Hogwarts in his day, would lower himself to that level. So much talk and so little action."
At this, Malfoy blushed, and reached for his wand (the signal at which Crabbe and Goyle rose stupidly from their chairs). One look from Theodore, however, made him think twice. Theodore was very sly and smart. Malfoy was well aware that Theodore caused serious problems for mudbloods whenever he could do so without causing suspicion. Malfoy's may be the name the rest of the school knew as the ranking Slytherin terror, but he knew who the real terror was. Many mudbloods had been sent home crying or injured by Theodore Nott, but Dumbledore was the only one with an inkling as to who caused these problems, and he had no proof. Thus, Theodore always lived to torment another day. Theodore was the only Slytherin who could see through Malfoy, and it scared him.
"I would have thought being turned into a ferret last year would have spurred you into action, Draco." sneered Theodore (more gasping from the crowd).
If Malfoy hadn't known Theodore was just trying to get him to change his mind about putting his wand back in his robes, (and if he hadn't known he'd lose in a duel), he would have jinxed him then and there.