The Hidden Greenhouse Keeper

Early the next morning, Narcissa shuffled through the morning post while her husband was changing. She came to a letter from her son. Strange, it wasn't his normal time to send something. It was the middle of the week. Her hands began to shake as she opened it. Was it an emergency…was there something wrong with her poor baby? She read the short letter...

Mum, I'm sick. Can you come? I now kinda think dad's task is a bit too much for me. I'm writing this from the hospital wing, and I'm lonely there's nobody coming to see me.

She gasped hard. "Lucius!" she roared. "Your 'little' task for our son is too much, he said!"

He shuffled out of his room. "But, I thought he was prepared!" he spluttered. "I gave him tips and everything!"

"He's a sensitive boy," Narcissa reminded him. "He doesn't like hard things. They hurt his mental health, you know. He needs our company. Change out of that frightful nightgown and come!"

The next day, Harry awoke. There was no boasting. There was no complaining. "Where is Draco?"

"Uhh," Crabbe said. "Dunno, Potter. He left last night and hasn't come back."

"O boy," Harry said, jumping out of bed. He couldn't have been up to anything good.

"Have you seen Draco?" a worried Bella said as he ran down to the common room.

"No," Harry admitted. "I-are you worried about him?"

"Yes," Bella squeaked. "Let's go find him! How about we check the hospital wing?"

They ran to the wing, passing few students who were already up, and diving down a branching corridor to avoid Filtch. By the time they got there, the Malfoys were there. (They had apparated then ran across the grounds, by the way.)

"Whoa," Harry said, then backed out of sight. He didn't need the uppity Malfoys seeing him in his pajamas. Bella went right on ahead and hugged her old dad. Thankfully, he was too absorbed in his son's health to notice.

"You're going to be ok, baby," Narcissa cooed softly, sitting on his bed and stroking his hair. Poor Draco did look pitiful, laying in bed, eyes red from crying. "My poor baby," his mum continued, gently hugging him. "Why did your daddy's task make you sick?"

"I-I was out in the night since I couldn't sleep," Draco sniffed. "I think it was cold…"

"Awwwwwww noo, poor baby, don't go walking out in the cold, ok?" she said sympathetically. "Now, it's ok, everything's fine, your mumma's here now…"

Harry peeked out from behind the curtain, painful longing and jealousy twinging his chest. His rival had a caring mum to coo over him like that. He didn't.

"Mum?" Bella said softly. Her mum turned in surprise.

"You're not supposed to be here," Lucius snapped. "Go away!"

"Lucius!" Narcissa scolded. She reached tenderly for Bella, then remembered and drew back at the last second. "O my baby, you didn't get sick did you?" Bella shook her head. "O thank goodness! My poor Bella, I'm glad you're not sick-who's that behind the curtain?"

Harry ducked, but it was too late. He sighed, then timidly came out. "Err, hi," he said awkwardly. Lucius wrinkled his nose. Draco half smiled then laughed. His mum turned back to him when he lapsed into a fit of coughing.

"I was going to turn your hair pink, but you're sick, so I won't," Harry said stiffly.

Draco smiled faintly. "Thanks."

"I would love to hug you, but, you know," Bella said slowly.

"Yea," Draco rasped. "that's fine. Don't then."

"Aww is Harry being good now? I'm so glad," Narcissa said. "Everything's ok now, cutie. Your mumma's here and your task is done and I'm sure you did splendidly. Were you worried?"

"Yea," Draco said softly.

"Don't worry," his dad said, glancing at Harry as though wishing he wasn't here. "You did fine."

Draco sank into the bed in relief. A bit of color faded back into his face and he smiled faintly.

To Harry's relief, Malfoy wasn't in any classes that day, and half those of the next day. Mrs. Malfoy came back the next day as well, to visit her son again. He swaggered out of the hospital wing, mostly better, around lunch, then promptly rebuked Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle for not noticing he was gone. Harry and Bella's short day of freedom from the Malfoy was blissful, and Harry caught himself hoping it would happen again.

Presently, he was sitting at the Gryffindor table next to Ron and Bella. He munched away on a cucumber sandwich, listening to the chatter. Sadly, Draco's distinct boasting floated towards him.

"I think it's sad Snape doesn't like Harry," Bella said.

"Not doesn't like me," Harry interjected. "He hates me."

"You think Snape hates you?" Griff asked Harry, sitting opposite him.

"O, no he loathes me," Harry said.

"Well he detests me with every fiber of his being," Griff said. "Every time we so much as see each other he glares at me as though he would like to kill me. Also, I think I'm the reason Griffindor didn't win the House Cup the last three years."

"This isn't a competition," Bella said, sounding slightly affronted. Ron stifled a laugh at the thought.

"Mhm," Harry said, half listening. Griff was beginning to remind him of the uppity Dursleys, the proud and disagreeable people who raised him.

"He gives me detention for every little thing," Griff continued bitterly. "He docks points at every opportunity. I think he enjoys hating me. Ever since I was a first year! But why? I'm good at school, I was in Quidditch last year, I'm a model Griffindor, I'm popular with the girls…What's not to like about me?"

"Err, I don't know," Harry said quickly, thinking to himself…everything…

"How sad," Bella said almost sympathetically.

"Lily says Snape says you're a strutting narcissist," Mafalda said matter of factly behind them.

"Yea," Griff sulked. "I know. You don't have to remind me, pretty."

She sneered a bit. "Yuck," she muttered.

Griff gave Harry a 'even she doesn't get it' look. Harry stopped suppressing himself and coughed up the bacon bit in his mouth when Griff turned away.

"O, when you're done, potions is next," Mafalda said. "Good thing Griff isn't coming," she muttered to herself.

"Yea really," Harry agreed softly.

Thankfully, Snape was quite cheerful that day and didn't look like he would bother the Gryffindors as much as he usually did. He didn't make any comment when Neville spilled his eye of newt on the floor before class even started. Unfortunately, his favoring of the Slytherins skyrocketed, and he awarded Bella five points for being on time. He didn't say anything when she stood by Neville and helped him clean the floor, even giving him her extra eye of newt.

"And now," Snape said, turning to face them. "This class will be different. Mae has been the example for most of our classes, so I will pick a new one today—You. Boy," he ended in a snap. Griffith jerked his hand down. "Stop flirting with the first years."

"I—I—sir!" Griff started. "I was just waving to—"

"Five points from Gryffindor."

"Professor, waving is NOT flirting, trust me—"

"Ten points from Gryffindor."

"Honestly sir! Why do you—"

"Fif…teen…points…"

"Sorry," Griffith finally rasped.

Snape sneered softly. "Better tone next time, boy."

"Harry? Draco, Bella? I need you," Professor Sprout suddenly called from down the corridor. Griff stepped aside for her.

"Now," Snape growled softly, suppressing annoyance. He probably wanted to pick Harry or Bella, who were also proficient at his class.

"Yes yes," she said, trundling over. "It's something I need right now…I do think Bella would be fine skipping a lesson. She probably knows everything anyway. I want her, but she can't go alone. Harry, come along. Draco. You too."

"Why me?" Draco whined loudly. "They're half bloods!"

"That's very nice," Sprout said, only half listening. "you two are close to her, aren't you? Come along."

"I'm brilliant, so I won't be too bad off to miss a lesson, but I don't want to prance around with a bunch of half bloods!"

"Draco, just go," Snape hissed.

Draco looked furious. "Yes professor," he sighed. "My father's gonna hear about this," he muttered angrily.

While they marched out of Hogwarts and onto the grounds, Draco constantly complained.

"Stop it," Harry snapped.

"No way," Draco sneered. "It's not my fault I'm stuck out of my favorite class walking out somewhere with a bunch of lowly—"

"Now now," Sprout interrupted, slightly coldly. "I want you to go to the greenhouse keeper in one of the greenhouses or the little house just inside the forest, and ask him for wolfsbane, mandrake, and dittany, alright?"

"Why," Draco sighed as Bella muttered the things to ask for over and over. "Stop it!" he growled at her. "It's annoying me!"

"You stop it," Harry hissed.

"Goodness children!" Sprout said. "Come now, I need them for Madam Pomphrey."

"But if Mrs. Bane is the assistant healer, can't she come get them?" Draco cut in.

Sprout looked annoyed. "No, she's busy."

"O," Draco sighed.

"Wait, we have a greenhouse keeper?" Harry asked.

"Of course we have a greenhouse keeper! Who do you think takes care of the plants?"

"O," Harry said, feeling a bit dumb. "Does anybody know about him?"

"Yes, me, Mrs. Bane, and Madam Pomphrey," Sprout said, shoeing them. "Now go!"

Draco groaned and moaned on the way to the greenhouses. "I don't want to do this," he grumbled.

"Quit your whining," Harry growled.

"You stop!" Draco snapped.

"Oi," some man said. They looked up. There in front of the greenhouses was some bloke in a long multi-colored scarf in odd and clashing colors, and an old British vest. His worn pants had holes in the knees. His boots were faded and falling apart. He had ruffled, uneven black hair, and hazel eyes.

"Who are you?" Harry asked.

"I'm the invisible greenhouse keeper, Eustace," the bloke said.

"I can see you though," Bella said, head cocked.

"Nice clothes," Draco sneered.

"Another Malfoy?" Eustace said with forced cheerfulness. "You know, your dad's owl dropped by this morning. He left a while ago."

"Why on earth would he come to you?" Draco said indignantly. "Are you a half blood?" he asked suspiciously.

"O hush Malfoy," Harry drawled. "Who cares?"

"I CARE!"

"Guys, come on. To my house, I can't leave the other girls waiting," Eustace said.

"What sort of dump do you live in?"

"Malfoy!" Bella shrieked. "That's not nice at all!"

"Yea really," Harry growled.

"If you're so determined to be annoying, Malfoy," Eustace said lazily, "I wouldn't do it like that. That right there is cute."

Draco turned red and spluttered. "I'm not cute!"

Eustace snickered. "You sure? I think you're cute when you're mad. I've been watching you. You're entertaining, you know."

Harry and Bella instantly liked him.

"Hmmf!" Draco said grumpily. He pouted, then gave the greenhouse keeper his darkest glare when he turned to look.

Eustace put up a hand to stifle his laugh.

"I'm not cute," Draco said stiffly.

Eustace's eyes sparkled. "I think you are! Especially when you get all mad like that."

Draco roared in rage and lunged at the greenhouse keeper. Bella surged forward to help him, but Harry tugged her out of the way. He didn't want her to get hurt. Eustace, though laughing and keeping Draco at bay with one hand, was managing to keep his balance.

"Say I'm not cute NOW!" Draco demanded, swinging his fists wildly but not connecting since one of Eustace's hands was on his head, keeping him far from the greenhouse keeper.

Struggling to talk normally, Eustace managed, "You're so adorable! You're fighting me, even though I'm older and bigger and can totally hurt you if I wanted...but no. You're too cute. I'll spare you if you stop trying to hit me."

Draco, growling, stopped trying to hit him. He grumbled softly 'my father's going to hear about this also' on the short walk to Eustace's house.

"A-whoopsie," Eustace said calmly, as he turned to face them in his doorway. "Forgot, again. So what were you asked to come here for?"

Draco was wrinkling his nose in distaste of the small ramshackle hut in front of him. It was mostly green with the vines that were essentially taking it over. "You do live in a dump," he muttered. Eustace glowered down at him through half open eyes.

"We need wolfsbane, mandrake, and dittany," Bella recited.

"Okie lemmie get that," Eustace said. "You watch the girls!"

"Who's in there?" Harry called.

Mafalda ran out. "Hold on!" Caly shouted from inside. "I gotta collect my stuff!" She emerged, looking excited.

"He's the nicest bloke," Mafalda said happily. "We were held back on our way back from herbology, 'cause Caly wanted to see the bloke she saw during class. Who is Eustace."

"He had something else to do real quick, so I took out my stuff and did some work," Caly said proudly. "I just had to sweep everything into my bag."

Mafalda snorted. "She took up like half the table."

"It was a small table," Caly sniffed.

"Of course it was!" Draco said in distaste. "That—thing is pretty tiny. Does he really live there?"

"Oi I got 'em," Eustace called. He walked over with the things Professor Sprout wanted. "Now go! Shoo, before Pomona—you call her Prof Sprout—comes over. Trust me, when you don't get her the things she needs, she gets mad. Now pip-pip." He began lightly shoving them towards the castle.

"Yuck don't touch me!" Draco gasped.

"Wait, aren't you going to give us the stuff?" Bella said over her shoulder.

"O right!" Eustace handed Bella the plants. "Now go!"

"Bye, Mr. herbology bloke!" Caly called after her. He laughed as they made their way to Hogwarts. When they got there, they dispersed to their classes.

Later, after all their classes had ended, Harry let Bella, Caly, Mafalda sit next to him in the main hall as they studied together. They came a bit late, and Hermione had already dragged Ron to the library for one of his assignments.

"How much do you have left?" Mafalda asked everybody.

"I got nothing," Bella said. "Turned everything in."

"Blimey," Harry said in awe.

"Lucky Bella," Mafalda said slightly enviously. "Help us then?"

"Sure!"

"I got herbology—best for last!—and potions left," Caly said, ruffling through her papers, getting them all over the table.

Mafalda rolled her eyes. "So disorganized."

"Oi Falda," Caly said. "You're the one who's scared of—"

"What's this?"

"What's what, Falda?" Harry asked.

Amid all the miscellaneous papers, notes, extra parchments, and drawings, there was one paper that was smaller than the rest. One that was fancier paper than the rest. One that had only a few words in fancy handwriting on it. Falda reached for it. It said,

Did the second troll give you the dragon's egg?

The bottom corner where the signature should have been was torn off.