Title: Firebrand Chronicles Book One: Behind Closed Doors
Summary: Potter has the fame, Malfoy has the power, what does that leave for Blaise Zabini? Only to stand in the shadows, watch, and occasionally do the unexpected. Not that the first year at Hogwarts is ever what anyone expects. This is his story. Book One
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter any of its characters or events. They belong to J.K. Rowling
Published: 10/6/08 - Complete
Edited: 10/5/13 – Rewrite, The basic plot remains the same, however I have gone back added quite a bit of content, and rewritten several scenes.
Author's Note: This is the final Chapter of Book One :Behind Closed Doors. The next portion will be Book Two: After Dark
Firebrand Chronicles
Book One: Behind Closed Doors
Chapter XI
We had settled in by the lake, the water glistening a clear blue reflecting the sky above, occasionally disturbed by the splashes of students or in one case the giant squid which had spread out several of its tentacles along the bank.
Pansy and Tracey had their shoes off and were wading in the shallows occasionally reaching down to pull out a smooth round stone polished by the waves, or a glistening pink piece of quartz. Crabbe and Goyle were playing gobstones laughing roughly when one of them got squirted in the face. Theo was off alone with a book. I could see him sitting under a tree with his head rested against the trunk, book in one hand, but he was too far away to talk too, not that he would have been much better company if he'd been closer. The Book was '101 Ways Way to Train a Dragon' and he'd been completely absorbed in it ever since Draco's ridiculous story of Potter carrying one through the castle. Never mind the fact that Theo had stated numerous times that he found the whole theory of a dragon in the castle ludicrous, the concept itself seemed to have him enthralled. Draco, who was sitting on top a large rock near the bank not five feet from where I rested in the grass, was tossing rocks into the lake. Not with the graceful snap of an attempt to skip a stone across the glassy surface, but the harsh repeated ker-plunk of rock after rock being chucked into the water with as much force as he could give it. A large scowl marred his usually smirking features and he kept sending dark glares towards Potter and his friends who were some yards away from us near the groundskeeper's hut.
I pulled several papers from my bag and at the rusting Draco looked over at me.
"Are you still studying?" he asked turning his glare on the papers in my hands. "Exams are over you know."
"I'm just deciding which of these I should keep." I answered looking at the notes in front of me. Thinking furiously over what I knew for certain and what I might be prone to forget. I filed my Astronomy, Transfiguration, and History of Magic notes away in my bag for later. The rest I set on fire with a simple charm, watching as the ashes flew from my fingers in the slight breeze. Draco watched for a moment and the suddenly sat up straight.
"Hold on, where are they going?" I looked where he was pointing. Potter and his friends were running from the hut towards the castle leaving an apparently very flustered Hagrid behind.
"Does it matter?" I muttered lying back in the grass. Enjoying the feel of the sun on my face.
He ignored me, a puzzled frown replacing the earlier scowl. "Come on I'm going to find out what they're doing." He started out for the castle with a purposeful stride and then stopped, looking over his shoulder demanding, "Are you coming?"
I sighed, and pushed myself to my knees, taking my time about stuffing the rest of my stuff into my bag. When I rose to my feet I turned to find Draco's glare was back this time aimed at me. Crabbe and Goyle noticed something was happening and started to stand too, but Draco waved them back down. The two obeyed immediately and I had the distinct impression of a pair of hounds waiting on their master's command to join the hunt.
"No. You two will only get in the way." Draco muttered causing the eager look to disappear from their faces. Goyle grunted a disappointed answer, but Crabbe simply returned to their game. Slinging my bag over my shoulder I followed him up the lawn to the castle receiving several 'requests' to hurry along the way. We both knew that we were supposed to stay outdoors so as not to disrupt any other exams that were still taking place, especially the O.W.L.S. that had been set up in the great hall, and so I wondered how Draco was going to explain our presence inside.
"Draco, are you sure about this? Last time you went sneaking around you lost us twenty points for that dragon story . . . And if the professors decide we're up to something what do we tell them? Hello Professor, we saw Potter sneaking around and decided to follow him . . ."
"If you're worried about getting caught," he hissed at me as we gained the front stoop and climbed the main stairway to the front doors, "then stop acting like we're doing something wrong! Stand straight." I fixed my posture. "We have just as much right to be here as any one else during the day, and I've told you a hundred times, Potter did have a dragon."
Unfortunately for Draco the most we got was the sight of Potter being chased back outside by Professor McGonagall. Almost as soon as we tried to enter ourselves she rounded on us.
It was lucky that Draco was in front of me blocking her view when she turned. Within seconds I was able to pull my wand out of my sleeve and mutter the incantation "locar feles," without being noticed. Instantly the tip of my wand pointed upwards and too the left locking on to Bandit's location. (I would have to thank Pansy yet again for her Christmas gift of having Bandit's collar enchanted.) Draco and I were incredibly lucky that Bandit was on a floor somewhere above us instead of behind us in the yard.
"And what are you two doing here?"
"Professor we . . ." Draco started.
"Looking for Bandit." I said almost on top of him. Professor McGonagall blinked at me. For once it was a good thing that cat was so much trouble. "She stole our Frisbee. We were trying to get it back." I gestured to my wand. "There's a locator charm on her collar."
The Professor sighed, wearing a look that said quite plainly that she was one step away from taking points from the next student to try to enter the castle and potentially disrupt the O.W.L.S. "Get your cat, retrieve your property, and go back outside."
"Yes Professor." Draco answered as we slipped past her heading towards the staircase and Bandit's current location.
"Zabini, you just lied to a professor," he hissed at me in an impressed tone the moment we were out of earshot. "I didn't know you had it in you!" He smirked. "Now I suppose we have to find the cat and locate a Frisbee."
"I've got one in my bag." If anything the appraising look he gave me grew greater.
He was much less pleased when the next morning it was learned that Harry Potter was unconscious in the hospital wing having no doubt tried something very dangerous and incredibly stupid. All chance for Draco to get his revenge for whatever slight he had perceived from Potter before the end of the year was gone. Potter remained unconscious for three days, but during those three days rumors of what may or may not have happened circulated throughout the school faster then a professional Seeker after the Snitch.
"No, Ron Weasley said there was a giant chess set."
"He was attacked by a Griffin."
"He had to fly a broom and catch three different keys!"
"He had to brew a potion."
"It was a table full of potions and he had to choose the right one!"
"Granger chose the right one."
"There was a carnivorous fly trap."
"It was a devil's snare."
"A giant."
"Another troll."
"Professor Quirrell tried to save him."
"Well, I heard he had to duel Quirrell." Flint laughed uproariously at the Hufflepuff first year who voiced that rumor. Though personally, knowing what I knew, and what the pieces of the puzzle were I felt that might be the most truthful of them all.
Regardless of what the student body believed, the facts were this. Potter was injured, and Professor Quirrell was dead. They had carried Quirrell's body from the third floor corridor early that morning covered in a white linen sheet. Only the few students who had been at an early breakfast saw it. As for myself , I had just entered the entrance hall and I watched the whole thing, leaning against the frame of the door to the dungeons. It was a somber sight the body laid out on a stretcher carried by two medi-wizards Dumbledore leading the procession and Professor Snape not far behind. The head of my house gave me a knowing nod as they passed and exited through the main doors with a black carriage waiting beyond to convey the deceased to the appropriate location. I couldn't help but notice that the carriage waited alone. The sad truth was Quirrell had so few friends and had been so odd, that very few people grieved over him.
One good thing came of the sight though, Snape's nod. I took it to mean that all was well. My anxiety about the door in the third floor corridor and what it contained abated, my curiosity failed me and I no longer cared no worry over things that should never have concerned me in the first place. I chose instead to enjoy the rest of my year though only a few short days of it remained.
Potter didn't appear again until the end of the year feast. Slytherin had won the house cup again to our great delight and the hall was filled with our colors. Silver and green streamers were strung across the ceiling, the serpent banner hung from every third rafter, and confetti was scattered across the tables. Everybody was seated and awaiting the beginning announcements when the doors swung open and Potter walked in alone, as if he were some sort of great hero. Perhaps this time he had done something to deserve the sudden silence that filled the hall at his arrival. Without knowing the exact details I could only assume. If he had dueled Quirrell . . . well that was a matter for another day. Everyone started talking again as Potter sat down, falling silent only as Dumbledore's stood.
The Headmaster began his announcements by talking about how full the year had been before launching into the awarding of the house cup. ". . . and Slytherin four hundred and seventy two." We cheered waving hats and hands alike, Draco banged his goblet on the tabletop, and Marcus Flint whistled.
"Yes, yes well done Slytherin." Dumbledore said cutting into our cheers. "However recent events must be taken into account." I felt my stomach sink and I suddenly knew we hadn't won the house cup after all. "Ahem, I have a few last minute points to dish out, so let me see, yes . . . first to Mr. Ronald Weasley for the best game of chess Hogwarts has seen played in many years I award Gryffindor house fifty points." There were cheers from the Gryffindor table and Dumbledore was forced to wait for silence. I could hear the oldest Weasley present, a tall boy named Percy, yelling something about a giant chess set. That had been one of the rumors floating around and it seemed, that at least, might be true.
"Second –," Dumbledore called when he could be heard again, "to Miss. Hermione Granger for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points." The Gryffindors were cheering again, but this time Dumbledore continued talking over them. "third - to Mr. Harry Potter . . ." the room went silent at the name hoping for the confirmation of the stories they hoped were true. " . . . for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."
The roar from the rest of the hall set my ears ringing. "What's going on?" Pansy shrieked hands over her ears.
"We're tied," I shouted back. "We're tied for the house cup."
"Tied!" Draco looked horrified, "tied, we can't be!"
"Do that math, Draco!" Theo roared back over the din.
Dumbledore raised his hand and waited. The room fell silent once more. The Slytherin table was very subdued; each of us hoping the headmaster wouldn't do what we all feared, and somehow knew, he would.
"There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."
I was forced to cover my ears this time, that's how loud the shouting was, and Dumbledore was still talking. "Which means we need a little change of decoration." Hands still over my ears I glanced around, and watched as the banners changed from green to red. Silver confetti shifted to gold, and the screams of joy from around the room only grew louder.
Loss of the house cup or not the rest of the feast was rather enjoyable. There were raspberries, and pot roast and kidney pie. There was ice-cream and pumpkin cider. The company was good and the conversation enjoyable once we got over our disappointment, and best of all we had several months until our next class.
I learned the following day that I had passed all my exams, scraping through Astronomy and managing to come in just behind Granger in both Charms and Potions. Bare points behind actually. All too soon it was time to return home, and this time Mother met me at the station. With her was the news that Millard was off for a three-week business conference in Madrid. It promised to be a decent start to the summer.
End
