Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor anything affiliated with it.

A/N: This chapter was never a planned part of my story, but it needed to be done. So sorry if it is a little more awkward than my usual, but I had to figure it into the story as best I could. So this is what you get.

0000000000000 Chapter 25: Malfoy's Mum 000000000000

Harry tried not to stare, but it was hard to keep his eyes off the Slytherin table. "Any minute now," he heard Ron murmur. Harry nodded slightly.

"He's reaching for it…" he said quietly, trying to talk out of the side of his mouth so no one would notice.

"Oh," Hermione said, disappointed, as their target's hand grabbed the pitcher of cream. "Next one, I bet."

"Hmm…he'll stir his porridge first and then he'll get the pumpkin juice," Harry said.

"There he goes," Ron said. "Stirring and grabbing the juice," he commented. "What a pig."

"You do the same thing, dear," Hermione teased.

"Hey," Ron said softly. "Oh—here we go!" Ron said, forgetting Hermione's teasing.

They held their breath, trying not to look too eagerly in the Slytherin's direction, and waited for the show to begin.

Malfoy suddenly sprang back from his table, flinging his half-empty cup of pumpkin juice away from himself with surprising force. "Ahh!" he yelped loudly. Harry thought he was going to have to bite his tongue in half to keep from laughing, but he held it in. He had to wait until everyone else started laughing.

And they didn't have to wait long. Suddenly, Malfoy's ears began to grow, swelling and growing until the ends flopped over and drooped on his shoulders. His wispy blond hair grew as well, tangling and matting into a yellow-white clump as it did. Harry was reminded strongly of some sort of hideous muggle doll that had been chewed on by a dog.

Everyone gaped in amazement, and then suddenly someone at the Hufflepuff table started to laugh—Harry looked over, and it was Julie Thomas, laughing so hard that there were tears streaming down her face.

That broke the spell, and the whole hall rang with laughter, even as Malfoy's front teeth suddenly grew longer, thanks to a special effort from Hermione, and then suddenly—Harry's contribution—Malfoy sprouted a furry white tail with a loud POP!

Harry glanced over at his friends.

"Nicely done, I think," he commented. Hermione nodded.

"I wasn't sure that those potions would hold the charms," she admitted. "I think the teeth are quite nice on him…"

"Hmm…I'm liking the tail, Harry," Ron said. "He kind of looks like some sort of overgrown ferret with elephant ears."

"Reminds me of his father," Harry mused, trying not to laugh.

Of course, they couldn't hold it in at all when Malfoy fled the hall, only to catch his tail in the door as it closed behind him.

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If Harry had expected any retaliation for their prank, he didn't get it. Ron, Hermione, and he went to the Saturday afternoon Quidditch match in high spirits, hoping to see Ravenclaw obliterate Slytherin.

The weather was cold and windy, typical for early November, and all three were wrapped up tightly in their cloaks, warming charms keeping them free of the biting cold. They charmed a few mugs of hot chocolate to stay warm, and then headed out to the pitch.

"See?" Hermione said once they'd sat down. "There's no one here yet, Ron. We could've come fifteen minutes from now, and we'd still get exactly the seats we want."

Ron shrugged. "I don't want to be trying to watch the game from way in the back," he explained. "I'd rather be sure instead."

Harry had to admit that they'd gotten there a little excessively early—there was still over half an hour until the match was set to begin—but he understood that Ron was fairly obsessed with winning the Quidditch Cup. Harry wasn't sure if it really mattered to him—he hadn't been part of the team for most of the previous year, and there had been no quidditch his fourth year. Still, he had to admit, it would be really great if he could help win the cup at least one more year.

"So are you really planning on starting up the DA again, Harry?" Hermione asked casually. Harry looked over.

"I said that mainly to give Murkwater an excuse, but I guess I could," he answered. "I actually have something I'd like to work on."

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"Remus said he'd help me learn to be an animagus over the summer, but we never really had time. I'd like to work on it here. We could make it a group thing," he explained. Hermione tried not to look doubtful, but Harry could tell she was dubious.

"Even McGonagall can't teach everyone how to be an animagus," she pointed out. "It takes years of work, and even then some people can't become them."

"Well, we won't know until we try," Harry pointed out. "Sixth years are allowed to begin studying for it…so I guess we'll have to think of something else for the younger years, but I'm sure the other sixth year Gryffindors would be interested."

"I think it's a great idea," Ron said. "That could really come in handy, you know."

"That's what I was hoping…unless my animagus form is a rabbit or something," Harry said.

"The animal form is usually a partial reflection of your personality," Hermione said. "So I don't think you're going to be a little bird."

"You'll probably be an owl, then, Hermione," Ron teased.

Hermione just sighed. "We probably won't even know for a year what our forms would be," she warned. Harry nodded.

"I know," he said. "But we've got Moony on our side. I'm sure he's got some information we can use to speed the process up a bit."

"All right then," Hermione gave in. "Just tell me when you want to have the meeting, and I'll get the word out."

"Thanks, 'Mione," Harry said. Ron suddenly sat up straighter.

"Here they come…Ravenclaw…" he reported. Before Harry could even look, Ron had already put his omnoculars up to his eyes and was scanning the entering team.

Harry just watched silently while the team came out, zipping around the pitch. His attention was on the seeker—Cho, still. He knew how she flew already, so he didn't really need to watch her. He knew Malfoy's strategies very well now, too, so he didn't see any reason to really scrutinize the match.

"Malfoy's gone," Ron suddenly said, sounding surprised. Harry looked over at the Slytherin team coming out onto the pitch.

Sure enough, when Colin Creevey announced the two teams, Malfoy was not the seeker of Slytherin. Instead, Richard Flint, Marcus Flint's younger brother, was the Slytherin seeker. Hermione looked slightly interested. "Hmm," she said. "I wonder…the charms would have been broken simply by Madame Pomfrey."

"Maybe he's too embarrassed to come out," Harry said. Hermione shrugged, looking thoughtful.

"Mind if I sit here?" came a sudden misty voice. Ron jumped visibly, and Harry swallowed a laugh as Luna Lovegood gave Ron a sappy smile and then plopped down between him and Harry.

"Not that we don't want you here, but why aren't you sitting with Ravenclaw?" Hermione asked. Luna smiled, luminous blue eyes on her team.

"Someone in my dorm stole my favorite sweater this morning," she told them. "So I thought I would sit with Gryffindor instead."

"That's not very nice of them," Harry said. Luna shrugged, as the teams lined up for the start.

"I'll get it back. I always get my things back in the end," she assured them. Harry nodded, eyes on Luna a moment longer before he turned back to the match as it began.

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Luna wandered off at the end of the match, giving them all one last somewhat vacant smile before heading off towards some other sixth year Ravenclaws. Hermione watched her go, shaking her head slightly. "She's a sweet girl, I suppose, but I have to wonder how in Merlin's name she got into Ravenclaw."

Harry shrugged. "I don't think you can judge her on how she seems," he said. "I don't think she's as crazy as some people think."

"I don't think she's crazy," Hermione said defensively. "Just a little…vacant, sometimes."

Ron had been silent up until this moment, and Harry looked over to see Ron concentrating deeply. "What is it?" he asked. Ron started and glanced over.

"Slytherin won by….thirty points, and their score was 230," Ron said aloud. "That means they've got a lot of points on the board. We've got to beat Hufflepuff in our match by at least sixty points."

"Er…why?" Harry asked. As long as they won, they shouldn't have any problems. Ron glanced over.

"Just in case, Harry," Ron said. "And besides, we need to get a big lead in points now before we get down to our last match."

The Slytherin match, Harry thought but didn't say. Richard Flint had beaten Cho to the snitch, and Harry knew that Cho wasn't that bad of a seeker. Certainly not professional-caliber, but she wasn't bad.

"It's going to be fine, Ron," Harry assured his friend. "I'm not going to get banned anytime during this week, I promise."

"Don't say that!" Ron said. "You're going to jinx it!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'm hungry," he said, changing the subject. He saw Hermione roll her eyes at their 'argument,' before following them back to the great hall.

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"Stupid human, blocking my path."

Harry started, surprised. "Did you hear that?" he asked. Ron and Hermione turned back and eyed him.

"Hear what?" Ron asked slowly. Harry didn't say anything for a moment. This had a very deja-vu feeling to it.

"I think it was a snake," he said.

"This is ridiculous. Blocking me from my home. Why won't it move?"

"There's a snake in the walls," he said. "It has to be."

Ron looked pale. "A Basilisk?" he asked. Harry shook his head.

"It sounds small, like a little garden snake or whatever," he said. "It says something's blocking it from its home. A human."

"Maybe we should tell Dumbledore," Hermione said. They were on their way back to Gryffindor from the great hall, and had not started up the stairs yet.

"That stupid human, putting this in my way."

"It's still there, trying to get by whatever—whoever—is blocking it," Harry said. "Let's find out where it's headed."

"Er…maybe we should get Dumbledore," Ron said slowly. Harry shook his head, getting closer to the stones and listening to the sounds of the snake as it moved along.

"Come on," he said. "I don't want to lose it."

Hermione and Ron hesitated at first, but then they followed after him as he started up the stairs at the end of the hall, still listening.

"Have to find a new way around…this is ridiculous…"

It's still in there," Harry said. "Maybe it's in a room on the other side of the wall," he said. "I don't know…"

Harry quieted, listening to the snake and trying to pinpoint its location. He turned left at the top of the stairs, keeping close to the wall, and then stopped in front of a very dusty and worn door.

"It's a supply closet," Hermione said. "Looks like it hasn't been used in a while."

"How did I end up in this disgusting hole anyway?"

"It's in here," Harry reported. "Alohamora!" he said, pointing his wand at the door.

It gave a wooden groan, then popped open, swinging wide with creaking hinges. Harry coughed on the dust that was shaken loose, and Hermione waved it away with her wand. "Lumos," Harry said, moving forward to light up the closet.

He could only see old mops and pails on the floor of the closet, but he went inside anyway, feeling the stone walls carefully.

"Humans are near…I'd better find another home…"

"There's gotta be some sort of door," Harry said aloud. "The snake knows we're here."

"As long as there aren't any spiders," Ron grumbled from behind him.

Harry moved his wand closer to the wall just to his left, examining the stones as best he could. "I think it's here," he said, pushing his wand tip against a stone that looked a little odd.

He was right, and the stone ground loudly as it shifted, and suddenly the whole wall swung inwards, revealing a dark and damp cavern. "This is odd," Hermione said softly, looking over his shoulder. Harry nodded.

"Come on," he said. "We'll head back in a bit if it looks long."

"Lumos," Hermione said in response, and Ron followed suit.

The entire secret chamber lit up, though Harry wished it hadn't. Ron, next to him, went pale as well. The red head almost immediately turned to block Hermione from seeing, wrapping a hand around her shoulders and steering her back towards the entrance of the drab little chamber. "Er…we'll get Dumbldore," Ron said hastily, glancing at Harry. Harry nodded, frowning grimly.

"Go," he said. "Get him now. You don't want to see this Hermione, please."

Hermione glanced at him curiously, unable to see past Ron's shoulder, and then nodded. "Come on, Ron," she said, sounding only a little reluctant. "Let's go find Dumbledore."

Ron looked hesitant to leave Harry alone, but finally followed Hermione out of the shadowy room. After they had left, Harry turned back to what he and Ron had seen, steeling himself.

His wand had illuminated the room quite clearly, and almost immediately he had seen the figure that looked almost thrown into one corner. It was a woman, thin with blond hair, and for an irrational moment he thought that it was his aunt, somehow locked in this room.

But the woman wore robes, no matter how stained and ragged they now were, so Harry knew that it was a witch. And they looked very dead.

Unable to stand there without being sure of the woman's state, he forced himself forward, battling back images of another dead body. He reached out a trembling hand to the woman's shoulder, touching her lightly. It was almost as if he expected her to start up in surprise at his touch.

But the person didn't react to his touch, and this close he could see more clearly that it was a middle-aged woman, face and lips very pale with death.

He pulled her over onto her back very gently.

And stared up into the slack, blue face of Narcissa Malfoy.

He stared in horror at the face of his enemy's mother, then stumbled backwards, bile rising in his throat.

"Oh Merlin," he muttered, feeling sick. He staggered back and tripped, falling on his knees. He forced himself to regain control, pushing the nausea back down and getting back to his feet. "Merlin," he said again.

No matter how many deaths he saw, no matter how many bodies, he would never get used to it. Harry knew that in an instant. He couldn't help it. Each death…even if he had no connection to the person…

"Harry!" he heard. The shout broke him from his thoughts.

"Ron?" he yelled back. "Just have Dumbledore come in first," he said. "Just…just stay out there with Hermione, please," he asked.

A moment later his wish was granted, and Dumbledore came into the chamber, lit wand raised high. The shadows dug deep trenches in the old wizard's face as he gazed down at the dead woman. "It is as we had feared," the Headmaster said softly. Harry looked over.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Dumbledore sighed.

"Mrs. Malfoy's disappearance was not long before your attack, was it not?" Dumbledore said. "The worry was that Dolohov's son managed to kill Mr. Malfoy's mother before looking for you."

"Couldn't you track her down?" he asked.

"The dead are difficult to track," Dumbledore said softly. "The soul has departed, and only the hollow shell remains… And of course, there seem to be several anti-tracking charms on her body."

"I—We didn't let Hermione see," he said. "Could you make she doesn't?"

"Of course," Dumbledore said. He waved his wand, and Mrs. Malfoy's body was covered with a plain white sheet. A few wand-flicks later, and she was levitating in the air beside the Headmaster, ready to be moved from the chamber.

Dumbledore began to direct the body, and Harry watched silently as Dumbledore paused in passing. "I'm sorry that you had to see this, Harry," Dumbledore said.

"What—what are you going to tell Malfoy?" he asked. "He didn't have anything to do with this…did he?"

"No…no, I don't think so. His fear for his mother's safety was not false." Dumbledore said, then fixed him with a firm stare. "Mr. Malfoy has already been banned from Quidditch for the rest of the year because he attacked you. I would advise against mentioning this to him or your involvement in finding his mother."

"Yeah, sure," Harry agreed. "Er…is that it, then?"

"I would offer you a dreamless sleep potion, Harry, but it would react with the potion that Severus currently supplies to you," Dumbledore said kindly. Harry nodded.

"I know," he said. "I'll be all right. I was just…surprised, is all."

"It is a great sorrow to me that you have seen so much death so soon in your life," Dumbledore said softly. Harry gazed on the human-shaped white lump, floating just above the cold stone floor.

"I think it's mine as well," he admitted.

Dumbledore didn't say another word. He just walked past, Mrs. Malfoy's body ahead of him. Harry waited until he could no longer hear Dumbledore's steps, and then sighed. He was fairly certain he was going to have to at least talk to Ron about this. His friend had looked fairly shook up at seeing the dead form on the floor.

And then they would have to tell Hermione, and Harry would have to tell them both who it was…

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Harry could tell right away that Malfoy had been told. The boy sat at breakfast with his head bowed over his food, limp scraggly hair falling forward into his face. Harry could tell that Malfoy had been crying—when he looked up, usually to glare at him, Harry could see his bloodshot eyes and stained cheeks.

"Malfoy looks terrible," Hermione said softly.

"I almost feel sorry for him," Ron said.

Harry felt relieved. He had told Ron and Hermione who it was that they had found, though he had initially still hesitated to do so. And while they had not been overly shocked about it, they had not laughed at Malfoy's situation. Harry despised Malfoy, certainly, but that didn't mean he wanted Malfoy's mother dead.

He knew what it was like to have no mother.

"I don't feel any pity for him," Harry said. "I just wish it could have been different. He didn't deserve to lose his family."

"She shouldn't have married a Death Eater," Ron said softly. Harry shrugged.

"Who knows, right?" he said, not feeling very hungry at all. "Maybe she didn't know when she married him…or maybe she made Tom mad. I don't know. It's still a terrible thing."

"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione asked him, meanwhile rubbing Ron's arm. Harry nodded.

"I am," he assured her, though he didn't really feel it.

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"I'm sorry about your mother, Malfoy," Harry said.

Dumbledore had announced Narcissa Malfoy's death that Sunday night at dinner.

"It's a terrible thing to lose a parent," he added.

Malfoy whipped around, silver eyes blazing with hate and grief. "You have no idea, Potter," Malfoy spat. "Get the hell away from me!"

"I just wanted you to know I'm not happy about your mum!" Harry snapped. "I'm sorry it happened!"

"Get out of here, Potter!" Malfoy growled. Harry shrugged, backing up.

"Have it your way," he said. "Hard to want to be a death eater when their boss has one kill your mum," he said harshly.

Malfoy paled. "You don't have any idea what you're talking about, Potter."

"I know," Harry said.

Malfoy opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, his lips twisting into a sneer. "Stay the hell away from me, Potter," the pale teen settled on. Harry didn't move at first.

"I didn't have anything else to say," Harry said levelly, and then turned and walked away.

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A/N: Shorter chapter, like I figured it would be. Malfoy's mother never showed up in the story…and now it was only to die. Kinda sad for her, but oh well. It's going to be slightly significant in this story on a relationship level, so here it is. Hopefully, this will tide you over until the next chapter, when more stuff happens. Thanks for reading, and keep on telling me what you think! --Miss Laine