A/N: Sorry, I take forever to update, but it's only because I'm trying to make a decent chapter. Please don't get mad at me! I like good reviews! (which should be given if this fic is read) Anyway, I tried to get this chapter out as fast as possible, but as I said before, I want it to be good, so not much chance of a quick update. Read on, O faithful reviewers!

Disclaimer: See previous chapter.

Yami no Hikari

Chapter 2

Of Serpents and Guile

Harry sighed, crushing the ugly black beetles that were an ingredient in the Morphing potion he was supposed to be making. The thick mixture in his cauldron should have been a bubbly yellow, but was instead a foul-smelling purple. He wondered what he had done wrong...

"Mr. Potter, your beetles should be crushed finely so that there aren't any chunks of it left."

Harry winced at the voice of Severus Snape, who was staring disgustedly at his beetles, which he had been about to pour into his cauldron. "Oops," he muttered, beginning to smash them again.

"I'll be testing your potion at the end of class," Professor Snape added, straightening and heading toward Draco Malfoy. "Excellent potion, Mr. Malfoy. Ten points for Slytherin..."

Harry sighed again and glanced at Ron Weasely beside him, who was having even more trouble with his potion than Harry was. His potion was a sickly green color, and smelled even worse than Harry's. "This is stupid," Ron whined. "When could we possibly ever need this?"

Hermione Granger smiled intelligently from behind them. "You never know."

"Oh, shut up."

In the four previous years Harry had been to Hogwarts, he'd never wanted more to be out of Potions class. Snape was being particularly aggressive towards Gryffindor's points, and Harry feared that if his potion was unsuccessful they would lose fifty points at the minimum. He doubted that the Potions master would go as far as a hundred, but no one could be sure in hot weather, when tempers rose with the temperatures. Not only that, but there was something nagging at the back of his mind. He suddenly wished that he had the Invisibility Cloak in his bag so he could slip out unnoticed and take a look around the castle. He was hearing snake-like voices again...

Are you ready to die, Potter? Sssoon I ssshall tassste your blood, and it will be refressshing to me...

He had yet to say anything to Ron or Hermione, and he knew that he should have, but something told him that it wouldn't be a good idea. He didn't want to get them involved in a fight with Voldemort, if it came to that, and he knew that it might. Voldemort was still alive, and it was definitely him in Harry's mind. Only Voldemort could've talked to him in Parseltongue. His friends didn't have to know...

"I hope you are finished with your potion, Mr. Potter."

Harry jerked out of his thoughts and looked up at Snape. "N-no, sir," he mumbled, moving his gaze to the tabletop.

"Then I do not believe that it could successfully morph the toad Mr. Longbottom has so generously donated for the experiment. Seventy-five points from Gryffindor." He turned and began to walk away. "We will be testing Mr. Malfoy's potion instead."

Harry groaned mentally. He hated Potions. Why did Snape have to be the Potions master?

He looked up as the dungeon's door creaked open. Snape tensed. "Who is disturbing my class?!" he yelled, whirling. His features suddenly relaxed, his usual scowl once more taking its place. "Ah, Professor Dumbledore. I apologize. What brings you to my dungeon?"

Dumbledore glanced around silently for a moment, hands hidden in the folds of his robe. His face was unnaturally stony and unnerved. "I wish to speak with a student of yours," he said finally. Harry prepared to stand. "Mr. Malfoy, would you please come with me?"

Harry froze, shocked. Malfoy? Dumbledore never spoke to Malfoy unless he had done something wrong, and certainly never pulled him out of class. He only did that to Harry. What was going on?

Snape frowned. "Alright. Mr. Malfoy, we'll be testing your potion without you. Take your things with you."

Malfoy stood, a puzzled expression crossing his features as he slung his bag over his shoulder and followed Dumbledore out of the dungeon.

"What'd he do?" Pansy Parkinson hissed at Crabbe.

The "thug" shrugged stupidly. "I dunno."

Harry's jaw was hanging slack when Snape next looked at him. He smirked. "Maybe you could join the rest of the class when you regain feeling in your jaw, Mr. Potter," he said smugly.

Harry shook his head quickly. "Sorry, Professor."

"Apology unacceptable. Pay attention during my class, Mr. Potter. Fifty points from Gryffindor." He turned to Malfoy's potion, Neville's toad in his hand.

"Fifty points?!" Harry cried, a little too loudly. He slapped his hands over his mouth as Snape faced him.

"Would you like to make it a hundred?"

"No, sir."

Then please be quiet and stop interrupting my class."

Harry sighed, still not paying the least bit of attention as Snape poured a small amount of Malfoy's potion onto the toad's head. He only vaguely heard Neville shriek, "Trevor!!" as his toad morphed into a brown rabbit. He couldn't have possibly paid attention.

Heh heh...Are you ready to die, Potter? You cannot ssstop me now...

Albus Dumbledore strode silently down the hall, Draco Malfoy walking nervously beside him. His fists were repeatedly clenched and unclenched behind the curtain of his robes. His mouth was a tight, thin line. There was no playful glint in his eyes that peeked out from behind his half-moon spectacles. He was disturbed; nothing in his features and stiff posture told otherwise. The headmaster was also very worried, and for once not for the Potter boy's sake, but for Draco's.

The boy was obviously very nervous; he had no idea that he wasn't in serious trouble. He shifted the position of his bag several times before clearing his throat and speaking hesitantly. "Um, sir...Whatever it was, I didn't do it."

Dumbledore wanted to chuckle, but couldn't bring himself to. His mood didn't allow him to think anything comical for the time being. So he was silent for a few more seconds, then replied to the frightened boy. "You have done nothing wrong, Mr. Malfoy. Do not be concerned about that."

Draco heaved a sigh of relief, noticing the difference in his headmaster but thinking nothing of it. He was probably just having a bad day.

Dumbledore paused at the statue hiding the entrance of his office to mutter the password (fizzing wizzbees), then stepped inside, Draco not far behind. He gently stroked Fawkes' head and sat wearily in a chair at his desk. The phoenix soon perched itself on his shoulder. "Have a seat, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said. Draco dropped into a chair across from him. "I take it you have no idea whatsoever as to why I have called you here." The blonde shook his head. "It has been brought to my attention that your father has...escaped...from Azkaban."

Draco's expression went from excited to concerned to somewhat frightened in all of two seconds. He said nothing, but his face said everything.

"The Ministry thinks, however, that he never actually escaped." He paused. "He was released by an outside force. And not a Dementor, either. They knew nothing of his escape until the following morning, which means it was a person. Another wizard, and a powerful one at that. The Dementors did not sense his or her presence. But the Ministry cannot figure out who it was for the life of them." At this, Dumbledore leaned forward at his desk and frowned at Draco. "But I have my suspicions...Don't you?"

Draco was silent, his face suddenly hard and defiant. "I don't know anything," he muttered.

"Oh, but I think that you do. Who was it, Draco? Was it him? Voldemort?"

Draco shivered involuntarily and ducked his head so that Dumbledore could not see the fear in his eyes. "I won't tell you anything." Draco's voice had suddenly gotten lower.

"Mr. Malfoy, you are obligated to tell me everything you know. I am your headmaster."

"I don't have to tell you anything." Draco stood, still not lifting his head. He began to slowly walk toward the door.

"Come back here, Mr. Malfoy. I have not dismissed you." Dumbledore's temper began to rise.

"Leave me alone," Draco said darkly. "You don't want Him to come, do you?"

Before Dumbledore could say anything else, the blonde Slytherin had vanished out the door.

Fawkes suddenly screeched and flew back to his perch. "What is it, Fawkes?" Dumbledore asked the phoenix concernedly. He had a tendency to trust the instincts of the bird. Fawkes screeched again as the lights all flickered out and darkness conquered the room.

Dumbledore slipped his wand out of his pocket to relight the candles in his office, but ran out of time to do so.

In the darkness he saw only one thing: a set of eyes. Two red, and a slightly larger violet one above the others.

Draco shuddered as he walked briskly through the halls. He wasn't going to any of his other classes today. He had become afraid and He had almost come. He couldn't risk that again. He was too dangerous. Even around Potter he couldn't let him come. He never wanted Potter dead, just teased and made fun of him. He didn't want to kill anyone, but He did. So he couldn't let Him come. He had to stay locked up. He had to be brave. He couldn't be afraid.

Review responses!!!

Yami-AJ Yu-Yu-InuCaptor- Thank you so much for reviewing!!! And thank you for saying it wasn't crap. I hope this chapter was as good as the last one. I really appreciate your review!

Kittengrl39- Yeah, I had no idea about the anonymous review thing. But I fixed it now! Question: I have no idea what "sugoi" is. Anyway, I hope I actually do have an original plotline because I'm not very creative. Not tainted yet? I suppose not. About Malik, just keep reading and you'll find out. Same with Hiei. Why does no one mention Kurama? He's the hott one!! quietly sobs in dark corner

Thank you both for reviewing, and just wait for chapter 3!!