Of Snakes and their Charmers
Chapter 1
Draco Malfoy sat at his desk smirking, "It should be powdered silver unicorn horn, Professor."
"Thank you, Mr Malfoy." Snape's eyes paused for a moment to rest on the previous offender. "I hope you're listening, Potter! Please try to keep up with the rest of the class, however hard you may find that!"
Draco heard a smattering of giggles behind him and exchanged looks with Blaise. It was bad enough that bloody Huffelpuffs were taking NEWT Potions, without having them tittering at the back of the class every time Snape spoke.
"Professor?" Great. Just as they thought that they'd got rid of Granger, another little creep took her place.
"Miss Bones?" Snape's left eyebrow quirked up, sending the girl's idiot associates into twitters.
"I was wondering, sir, whether the size of powder matters."
The eyebrow lifted even higher. Draco was, himself, rather astounded at the question; who would have thought that a Huffelpuff would make an even halfway applicable question in Potions, let alone one that was the sort that he often asked. Nevertheless, her friends more than made up for her competence, he expected the Abbott girl to fall off her chair any moment and Sally-Ann Perks looked as if she was going to wet herself with excitement. On the other hand, Morag MacDougal, the only other Huffelpuff in the room, looked as if she were about to burst out laughing any second.
"Granulated powder is preferable for outstanding results, but not necessary," grunted Snape.
There was a demure, "Thank you sir," and Bones fell silent, and continued to scribble on a rather grubby piece of parchment.
Draco caught Blaise's eye and Blaise shrugged. He leant back in his chair and casually threw a quick glance across at the girl curiously.
She was nothing to look at; rather plain really with her mousy brown hair in a plait, although the eagerness on her face seemed to compensate for that. Her eyes, as she surveyed her notes, seemed to light up and the shadows of the dungeons showed her features in a more sinister light than was wholly necessary.
Potter sat directly in front of them, fiddling with his quill. He, Weasley and, surprisingly enough, Finnegan, were the only Gryffindors who had chosen to continue with Potions. Granger, it was rumoured, was taking Advanced Arithmancy and for that reason had dropped Potions; though Draco could safely say that he wasn't really all that bothered.
Out of the Ravenclaws, Boot, Corner, Mandy Brocklehurst and that Lisa Turpin chick had decided to do Potions, all of whom were sitting demurely, writing notes.
He looked along his bench. Himself, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. No complications there, just three pureblooded wizards. Even if Nott was a bit of a loner, they all got on; they had to, being the main 'Death-Eaters- in-waiting' as Blaise put it.
Twenty-five minutes later, Draco, Blaise, Nott and a detailed plan of an essay on 'the powers of powdered silver unicorn when used in conjuncture with asphodel', made their way to the Great Hall for lunch.
They were at the mouth of the dungeons when the Huffelpuffs squeezed past.
"He's so...so..."
"Sexy."
They seemed to be in the middle of a discussion on the pros and cons of Snape.
"Definitely alpha male."
"Shut up, Morag."
Morag's Scottish drawl floated back to the three Slytherins as the girls went on their way, "Yeah, 'cos I just fantasize about running my hands through his greasy hair."
There was a snort of laughter as they rounded the corner and then disappeared.
Theodore Nott stood there with a look of deep disturbance on his face, "They fantasize about Snape?"
Blaise looked at him and grinned, "You ought to hear what my sister says about him!"
Draco looked at him. "I'd rather not."
He grimaced, "Believe me, you don't; it can be very unsettling, especially when your mother looks as if she agrees!"
Nott shuddered. "And they say that we're weird!"
They continued along the corridor in silence, something that was punctuated by the sound of, "Yoohoo! Dracy!"
It was Pansy.
"Dracy?" sniggered Blaise. Theordore snickered behind him.
"Oh ha bloody ha. F---ing hilarious, I don't think."
She ran up behind them, "Draco?"
"What?"
"Don't talk to me like that Draco. Anyway, I've a message from your father."
He looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "What about?"
She looked pointedly at Blaise and Theodore.
He almost threw up his arms in desperation. He began to annunciate very clearly, as if talking to a very young child, "These two are my 'right-hand men' as you might call it. You can tell them anything." Nott proved his point by just being himself, and looking very aristocratic with his nose up in the air. On the other hand, Blaise was attempting to look hard and failing miserably.
"But Draco..."
"Just give me the damn message Pansy."
Her eyes narrowed, but she said, "You've got to find out exactly who are the members of the so-called 'DA' and send the list by owl to Rudolphus Lestrange," and then fell silent.
Draco turned her back on her, and began to walk towards the Great Hall, Blaise and Theodore at his side.
"Draco?"
He turned and looked at her, his eyes dark and soulless, "I hope you're not expecting thanks Pansy. Surely you know by now that expressing gratitude is against the Malfoy Code of Conduct? You've delivered your message Pansy, now run along like a good little girl."
"Huh!" Pansy flounced off.
"Well put."
"Thanks," said Draco. "I thought so myself."
( ( (
Susan rolled her eyes as Hannah giggled, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, at one of Ernie's feebler jokes. He was sitting beside her, his chest puffed out like a peacock.
Morag just grinned at them and cut herself a rather generous portion of cheesecake.
Susan turned to speak to Sally-Ann, only to find her deep in conversation with Justin. "Is there no-one to talk to in this infernal place?"
Morag looked up; "Don't I exist?"
Susan paused, and then rephrased her question, "Is there no-one with any common sense to talk to in this infernal place?" She ducked a charm, turning to see where it landed. Her eyes lit up. She spun back round. "Morag..."
Morag was doing an extremely good impression of a goldfish.
Sally-Ann glanced over at them. Her jaw dropped and was quickly joined by Justin's. Hannah rotated as well as she could, being clamped to Ernie's side. "Oh no," she breathed, all giggles evaporating, "You're in for it this time Morag."
Susan felt a shadow fall over them and a voice say, rather coldly, "Well MacDougal? I think an apology is in order."
Morag looked up, dissolved into silent laughter and then, seeing the Slytherin's face darken, attempted to look demurely and humbly down at her plate.
"It was an accident..." Susan started, turning round, and then gulped at the expression on Blaise Zabini's face. His dark hair was dark no longer. Baby-pink and sky-blue highlights streaked his hair, which was, to top it all, in pigtails.
"Suits you," gargled Morag. He glowered at her, smouldering rakishly, well, as rakishly as anyone could be with pink and blue highlights.
"Now, you listen to me, Huffelpuff," he started.
"Well, well. What have we here?"
Blaise swivelled on the spot to face Snape. "Ah, Professor..."
"Professor Snape," interrupted Sally-Ann in the sort of voice, Susan thought, should be reserved for Kirley McCormack, lead guitarist with 'The Weird Sisters'. "Terribly sorry sir, Morag's wand misfired, but it was an accident, and poor Blaise was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Yes Miss Perks, but..."
"I know, it's awful, isn't it sir, but she was just trying to sort out Susan's hair, sir; we thought that highlights would suit her."
"But Miss Perks..."
"I'm sure it won't happen again," Sally-Ann looked at him beseechingly, "I promise, we all do, that we'll keep our hairdressing to the dormitories from now on sir; you know what it's like, keeping up appearances and everything, don't you sir?"
"Yes...well..." muttered Snape. He watched hopelessly as Morag, smiling in what she considered a penitential way, performed the counter-curse.
"Lovely," said Sally-Ann, smiling in a condescending manner. "Now, is there anything else we can help you with, Professor?"
Snape shook his head glumly and then listlessly made his way back to the teachers' table.
"And as for you, Mister Zabini," Sally-Ann turned her stern gaze on him.
"Pink suits you."
He turned, incredulous to look at Morag, who was mumbling inarticulatedly into her plate. "Really?" His voice was icy.
"Yeah," she met his frosty gaze with pleading grey ones. "Try a white shirt with the faintest hint of pink."
"Pink?"
"Or baby blue," she ameneded.
He shook his head. "Crazy, the lot of you," and sauntered off, back to his own table.
Susan gazed at her friend in amazement. "Morag?"
"Argh!" said Morag.
( ( (
"You're too soft Blaise."
Blaise shot an exasperated look at Draco, "You try terrorising Huffelpuffs with Snape at your shoulder."
Draco leaned back in his chair and smirked. "Snape gave her detention?"
"No."
He almost fell off his chair. "No?"
"No. One of those twittering idiots flattened him. He ended up walking off in a ruddy daze." Blaise sat down with a thump.
Theodore looked at him. "Well, at least you've got your hair back to normal."
"Yeah," a flicker of a smile crossed Blaise's face. "D'you know what she said to me?"
Draco and Theodore looked at him.
"She suggested that I wear shirts with a hint of pink or blue!"
"What?!"
"Yeah, I know." Draco looked alarmed. "She said it would suit me!"
Theodore watched Blaise's face carefully. There was a hidden depth there that he had never seen before. Then a horrible thought struck him, "You don't like her, do you?" He'd never seen anyone change so quickly.
"No! Of course not! She's a Huffelpuff!"
Draco raised his eyebrows.
"I don't! That's a repulsive idea!"
"Alright then," said Draco, an idea forming, "Prank her."
"What?"
"Prank her. You know, make her robes invisible, completely humiliate her; that sort of thing."
Theodore's eyes lit up. "That's great! Revenge and justice dealt out in one blow."
"Well," Blaise hesitated for a moment, "Alright. I will."
( ( (
"Wait a minute! Wait for me!"
Sally-Ann, Morag, Hannah and Susan turned round to see Hermione Granger racing after them.
"Hi," she gasped and turned to Hannah and Susan, "DA; usual place; six o'clock this evening." She turned and scrutinised Sally-Ann and Morag, "You two are welcome to come if you want to. I've got to go, get Hannah or Susan to explain!" and with that, she was off.
Morag turned to her two friends, her expression quizzical, "Well?"
"Come on, we'll tell you about it on the way to Herbology."
As they walked along Susan explained. "You see, last year, Hermione came up with this idea that Harry could teach us practical Defence Against the Dark Arts, and so the DA was formed."
"DA?"
"Dumbledore's Army. Ginny Weasley came up with it. It was our way of rebelling against that cow, Umbridge.."
Morag chuckled.
"So we're invited?"
Hannah turned to look at Sally-Ann. "Yeah, something like that. It's really good; the Gryffindors are all there, of course, and a handful of Ravenclaws and us. Ernie and Justin are in it and Zacharias Smith."
"Zacharias Smith? Why's he involved?"
"We never did work that out, did we?"
Susan shook her head, "No, and he wasn't really all that popular, but he didn't grass us up."
Morag looked at Sally-Ann. "What do you think Sal?"
"Let's go knock 'em dead!"
Chapter 1
Draco Malfoy sat at his desk smirking, "It should be powdered silver unicorn horn, Professor."
"Thank you, Mr Malfoy." Snape's eyes paused for a moment to rest on the previous offender. "I hope you're listening, Potter! Please try to keep up with the rest of the class, however hard you may find that!"
Draco heard a smattering of giggles behind him and exchanged looks with Blaise. It was bad enough that bloody Huffelpuffs were taking NEWT Potions, without having them tittering at the back of the class every time Snape spoke.
"Professor?" Great. Just as they thought that they'd got rid of Granger, another little creep took her place.
"Miss Bones?" Snape's left eyebrow quirked up, sending the girl's idiot associates into twitters.
"I was wondering, sir, whether the size of powder matters."
The eyebrow lifted even higher. Draco was, himself, rather astounded at the question; who would have thought that a Huffelpuff would make an even halfway applicable question in Potions, let alone one that was the sort that he often asked. Nevertheless, her friends more than made up for her competence, he expected the Abbott girl to fall off her chair any moment and Sally-Ann Perks looked as if she was going to wet herself with excitement. On the other hand, Morag MacDougal, the only other Huffelpuff in the room, looked as if she were about to burst out laughing any second.
"Granulated powder is preferable for outstanding results, but not necessary," grunted Snape.
There was a demure, "Thank you sir," and Bones fell silent, and continued to scribble on a rather grubby piece of parchment.
Draco caught Blaise's eye and Blaise shrugged. He leant back in his chair and casually threw a quick glance across at the girl curiously.
She was nothing to look at; rather plain really with her mousy brown hair in a plait, although the eagerness on her face seemed to compensate for that. Her eyes, as she surveyed her notes, seemed to light up and the shadows of the dungeons showed her features in a more sinister light than was wholly necessary.
Potter sat directly in front of them, fiddling with his quill. He, Weasley and, surprisingly enough, Finnegan, were the only Gryffindors who had chosen to continue with Potions. Granger, it was rumoured, was taking Advanced Arithmancy and for that reason had dropped Potions; though Draco could safely say that he wasn't really all that bothered.
Out of the Ravenclaws, Boot, Corner, Mandy Brocklehurst and that Lisa Turpin chick had decided to do Potions, all of whom were sitting demurely, writing notes.
He looked along his bench. Himself, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. No complications there, just three pureblooded wizards. Even if Nott was a bit of a loner, they all got on; they had to, being the main 'Death-Eaters- in-waiting' as Blaise put it.
Twenty-five minutes later, Draco, Blaise, Nott and a detailed plan of an essay on 'the powers of powdered silver unicorn when used in conjuncture with asphodel', made their way to the Great Hall for lunch.
They were at the mouth of the dungeons when the Huffelpuffs squeezed past.
"He's so...so..."
"Sexy."
They seemed to be in the middle of a discussion on the pros and cons of Snape.
"Definitely alpha male."
"Shut up, Morag."
Morag's Scottish drawl floated back to the three Slytherins as the girls went on their way, "Yeah, 'cos I just fantasize about running my hands through his greasy hair."
There was a snort of laughter as they rounded the corner and then disappeared.
Theodore Nott stood there with a look of deep disturbance on his face, "They fantasize about Snape?"
Blaise looked at him and grinned, "You ought to hear what my sister says about him!"
Draco looked at him. "I'd rather not."
He grimaced, "Believe me, you don't; it can be very unsettling, especially when your mother looks as if she agrees!"
Nott shuddered. "And they say that we're weird!"
They continued along the corridor in silence, something that was punctuated by the sound of, "Yoohoo! Dracy!"
It was Pansy.
"Dracy?" sniggered Blaise. Theordore snickered behind him.
"Oh ha bloody ha. F---ing hilarious, I don't think."
She ran up behind them, "Draco?"
"What?"
"Don't talk to me like that Draco. Anyway, I've a message from your father."
He looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "What about?"
She looked pointedly at Blaise and Theodore.
He almost threw up his arms in desperation. He began to annunciate very clearly, as if talking to a very young child, "These two are my 'right-hand men' as you might call it. You can tell them anything." Nott proved his point by just being himself, and looking very aristocratic with his nose up in the air. On the other hand, Blaise was attempting to look hard and failing miserably.
"But Draco..."
"Just give me the damn message Pansy."
Her eyes narrowed, but she said, "You've got to find out exactly who are the members of the so-called 'DA' and send the list by owl to Rudolphus Lestrange," and then fell silent.
Draco turned her back on her, and began to walk towards the Great Hall, Blaise and Theodore at his side.
"Draco?"
He turned and looked at her, his eyes dark and soulless, "I hope you're not expecting thanks Pansy. Surely you know by now that expressing gratitude is against the Malfoy Code of Conduct? You've delivered your message Pansy, now run along like a good little girl."
"Huh!" Pansy flounced off.
"Well put."
"Thanks," said Draco. "I thought so myself."
( ( (
Susan rolled her eyes as Hannah giggled, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, at one of Ernie's feebler jokes. He was sitting beside her, his chest puffed out like a peacock.
Morag just grinned at them and cut herself a rather generous portion of cheesecake.
Susan turned to speak to Sally-Ann, only to find her deep in conversation with Justin. "Is there no-one to talk to in this infernal place?"
Morag looked up; "Don't I exist?"
Susan paused, and then rephrased her question, "Is there no-one with any common sense to talk to in this infernal place?" She ducked a charm, turning to see where it landed. Her eyes lit up. She spun back round. "Morag..."
Morag was doing an extremely good impression of a goldfish.
Sally-Ann glanced over at them. Her jaw dropped and was quickly joined by Justin's. Hannah rotated as well as she could, being clamped to Ernie's side. "Oh no," she breathed, all giggles evaporating, "You're in for it this time Morag."
Susan felt a shadow fall over them and a voice say, rather coldly, "Well MacDougal? I think an apology is in order."
Morag looked up, dissolved into silent laughter and then, seeing the Slytherin's face darken, attempted to look demurely and humbly down at her plate.
"It was an accident..." Susan started, turning round, and then gulped at the expression on Blaise Zabini's face. His dark hair was dark no longer. Baby-pink and sky-blue highlights streaked his hair, which was, to top it all, in pigtails.
"Suits you," gargled Morag. He glowered at her, smouldering rakishly, well, as rakishly as anyone could be with pink and blue highlights.
"Now, you listen to me, Huffelpuff," he started.
"Well, well. What have we here?"
Blaise swivelled on the spot to face Snape. "Ah, Professor..."
"Professor Snape," interrupted Sally-Ann in the sort of voice, Susan thought, should be reserved for Kirley McCormack, lead guitarist with 'The Weird Sisters'. "Terribly sorry sir, Morag's wand misfired, but it was an accident, and poor Blaise was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Yes Miss Perks, but..."
"I know, it's awful, isn't it sir, but she was just trying to sort out Susan's hair, sir; we thought that highlights would suit her."
"But Miss Perks..."
"I'm sure it won't happen again," Sally-Ann looked at him beseechingly, "I promise, we all do, that we'll keep our hairdressing to the dormitories from now on sir; you know what it's like, keeping up appearances and everything, don't you sir?"
"Yes...well..." muttered Snape. He watched hopelessly as Morag, smiling in what she considered a penitential way, performed the counter-curse.
"Lovely," said Sally-Ann, smiling in a condescending manner. "Now, is there anything else we can help you with, Professor?"
Snape shook his head glumly and then listlessly made his way back to the teachers' table.
"And as for you, Mister Zabini," Sally-Ann turned her stern gaze on him.
"Pink suits you."
He turned, incredulous to look at Morag, who was mumbling inarticulatedly into her plate. "Really?" His voice was icy.
"Yeah," she met his frosty gaze with pleading grey ones. "Try a white shirt with the faintest hint of pink."
"Pink?"
"Or baby blue," she ameneded.
He shook his head. "Crazy, the lot of you," and sauntered off, back to his own table.
Susan gazed at her friend in amazement. "Morag?"
"Argh!" said Morag.
( ( (
"You're too soft Blaise."
Blaise shot an exasperated look at Draco, "You try terrorising Huffelpuffs with Snape at your shoulder."
Draco leaned back in his chair and smirked. "Snape gave her detention?"
"No."
He almost fell off his chair. "No?"
"No. One of those twittering idiots flattened him. He ended up walking off in a ruddy daze." Blaise sat down with a thump.
Theodore looked at him. "Well, at least you've got your hair back to normal."
"Yeah," a flicker of a smile crossed Blaise's face. "D'you know what she said to me?"
Draco and Theodore looked at him.
"She suggested that I wear shirts with a hint of pink or blue!"
"What?!"
"Yeah, I know." Draco looked alarmed. "She said it would suit me!"
Theodore watched Blaise's face carefully. There was a hidden depth there that he had never seen before. Then a horrible thought struck him, "You don't like her, do you?" He'd never seen anyone change so quickly.
"No! Of course not! She's a Huffelpuff!"
Draco raised his eyebrows.
"I don't! That's a repulsive idea!"
"Alright then," said Draco, an idea forming, "Prank her."
"What?"
"Prank her. You know, make her robes invisible, completely humiliate her; that sort of thing."
Theodore's eyes lit up. "That's great! Revenge and justice dealt out in one blow."
"Well," Blaise hesitated for a moment, "Alright. I will."
( ( (
"Wait a minute! Wait for me!"
Sally-Ann, Morag, Hannah and Susan turned round to see Hermione Granger racing after them.
"Hi," she gasped and turned to Hannah and Susan, "DA; usual place; six o'clock this evening." She turned and scrutinised Sally-Ann and Morag, "You two are welcome to come if you want to. I've got to go, get Hannah or Susan to explain!" and with that, she was off.
Morag turned to her two friends, her expression quizzical, "Well?"
"Come on, we'll tell you about it on the way to Herbology."
As they walked along Susan explained. "You see, last year, Hermione came up with this idea that Harry could teach us practical Defence Against the Dark Arts, and so the DA was formed."
"DA?"
"Dumbledore's Army. Ginny Weasley came up with it. It was our way of rebelling against that cow, Umbridge.."
Morag chuckled.
"So we're invited?"
Hannah turned to look at Sally-Ann. "Yeah, something like that. It's really good; the Gryffindors are all there, of course, and a handful of Ravenclaws and us. Ernie and Justin are in it and Zacharias Smith."
"Zacharias Smith? Why's he involved?"
"We never did work that out, did we?"
Susan shook her head, "No, and he wasn't really all that popular, but he didn't grass us up."
Morag looked at Sally-Ann. "What do you think Sal?"
"Let's go knock 'em dead!"