Blaise was not an easy patient to care for. Theodore Nott found him collapsed in a crumpled heap outside their shared dorm room. It was just as well as Theo had not planned to go looking for his roommate. Blaise's robes were ragged and smelled like burnt toast. The experience of dragging Blaise inside was like hauling a bear, a combination of brute force and limited forward motion. Theo's limbs floundering, he staggered in and stumbled onto the bed carrying his charge. He could have crashed and slept till midday. By sheer force of will, he extricated himself from the clean sheets and tangle of limbs and robes. He took off Blaise's shoes, laces still done up and flung them. He knelt next to the Blaise's still form and attempted to pour his prescription eardrops with tremulous hands into his each of Blaise's ears. It was easier to do so balancing his hand directly on the Blaise's browbone, squashing his eyeball. Fortunately, his patient was not in a fit state to complain.

Blaise woke up two hours later, looking remarkably refreshed. His ladies-man reputation was well deserved. "What happened?"

Theo, who hand not slept a wink, despite his exhaustion sighed. "A lot."

Blaise rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his elbow. He tugged his ear lobe. "My hearing's back! How did that happen?"

Theo jerked his chin towards the drops on the nightstand.

"When did we go to the hospital wing?" Blaise yawned.

"We didn't." Theo stated. "Those are my drops."

"You went without me?" Blaise asked incredulously.

Theo's immediate response to his earnest question was one of profound irritation. He rolled onto the opposite side and pulled his covers up even higher. "Go back to sleep, you moron!"

"There was an explosion. Tell me what happened?" Blaise pressed. When persuasion did not yield the intended results, he launched a herbology notebook as a projectile. It did the trick which was five minutes of profuse swearing interspersed with creative death threats.

Despite his best intentions to go to sleep to avoid his roommate's prattling, Theo found himself spilling the events of the evenings. Sleep was not forthcoming. He needed a fresh perspective anyway. Blaise listened in awe, with a newfound respect for the Gryffindor girls. It had nothing to do with the fact that he had been kicked off the same quidditch team that Gryffindor bested on and now off the pitch as well. "So, the Malfoy we saw near the girls' dormitories was Ginny Weasley on Polyjuice? That's bloody genius! Granger is an enterprising muggle."

"As astonishing as Granger's achievements are, you cannot share this information with anyone." Theo stated.

Blaise snorted. "Obviously. Our entire house would turn on us." He paused for a moment. "Speaking of which, I had a chat with Montague earlier. He was harping on about house allegiances. He knew more than he was letting on."

Theo's heartbeat kicked up a notch. "What did he say exactly?"

"That I should stop hanging around you and start thinking like a Slytherin!"

The corner of Theo's mouth lifted into a wry smile.

Blaise chuckled. "On a more serious note, we need to plan our next move." In his next breath, Blaise reminded Nott exactly why he was his only confidante. "Why did Malfoy did ditch Crabbe and Goyle, to go on a walk around the castle at midnight? Especially after the humiliating defeat against Gryffindor?" Blaise steepled his fingers. "If I were Quidditch captain, I would go into hiding. There is no way I would show my face for a week afterwards."

Theo straightened. It was a question that he had failed to even consider during his good Samaritan rounds. The answer left him stumped. Rather than admit his failing, he asked. "Does Malfoy have a girlfriend outside our house?"

Blaise shook his head. "He was wearing thick layers and boots, Nott. Unless his girlfriend has is a bearded half giant and lives in Hagrid's shack, the answer to your question is no."

Nott yawned. "You will have to tell me. It has been a long night."

"Malfoy was on his way to the owlery."

Theo frowned. "Are you sure?"

"I suspect it has something to do with my earlier conversation with Montague about house allegiances and Slytherin responsibilities."

Theo rolled over in his bed, pulled his pillow over his face, and groaned into it. "That's a dangerous assumption to make."

"It's the logical assumption. Just because we do not want to hear it, does not make it any less true."

Nott wracked his brains. "Are you suggesting that Malfoy has been entrusted to conduct a task for his father?"

"I wouldn't trust Malfoy to clean out a cauldron without cacking up." Blaise said honestly, "But he's amoral, pliable, and will do anything for his father. We should investigate it further."

"Why? I do not want to get involved. If his father is involved, my father might be as well." Theo folded his arms across his chest and stared up at the ceiling in a show of defiance.

"This is exactly what Montague was complaining about." Blaise said dryly.

"You are indulging in wild speculation. We have no evidence that Malfoy is a death eater or even working for them. I want no part in it."

Blaise snapped impatiently. "What are you going to do if Malfoy wakes up tomorrow and recalls a different version of events where Harry Potter did not hex him? You do remember making that that announcement in front of the entire Slytherin common room. Lucius Malfoy will also be aware of his son's side quest. You will not escape his notice. He will have questions for you. He is going to be here very soon. Especially if Malfoy had a task that he failed to complete." Blaise stated. "If I am right and Malfoy was on his way to the owlery, he will have a letter on his person. I will bet you ten galleons. How is that for evidence?"

"Only ten galleons?" Said Theo. "Have you spent your family fortune already?"

Blaise smirked. "Winning is the real prize – as you well know. Did it cross your mind that whatever Snape has kept brewed in his office might be more potent than Veritaserum and Polyjuice potion?"

Nott nodded, wishing he had never consulted Blaise in the first place to have to endure his conceit and kicking himself for not doing it sooner. On reflection, he should have informed Blaise of the evening's events as they happened. It would have saved him face and time. He could feel the weight of Blaise's gaze studying him in silence. Apologising was not an easy decision to make, so he did the next best thing and issued a paltry non apology. "I exchanged some words last night which I have come to regret." Nott hesitated. "Are we still on good terms?"

"Not even close." Blaise replied immediately. "Fortunately for you, we don't have luxury of time to indulge in sentiment." He was not finished spouting acute insight. "We either make the first move or we do nothing and react to someone else's play. Thanks to Granger we are in a uniquely advantageous position, but we must capitalise on it right now. We cannot wait."

"Agreed."

"Alright, get some sleep. You need to make a trip to the hospital wing early."

Hermione had three disgruntled visitors to her bedside. Harry potter and Ronald Weasley traipsed grass, mud and brackish water through the hospital wing and collapsed on the cots next to Hermione. They were still wearing their sodden clothes from last night and their soiled running shoes. Harry grunted his greeting. Ron swiped a piece of her toast before retiring to his makeshift bed. "Hello to you too." She mouthed, butter knife in hand. They would have slept quite happily at least until Madame Pomphrey came to know of their arrival. She charged onto the bay and screamed at the pair, rousing them from their stupor. And so, they were promptly discharged before they had even been admitted.

Hermione's third visitor arrived unannounced half an hour later, quiet as a cat. He stared her down uncomfortably almost willing her to wake from a light sleep. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Gosh, it's you." How unexpected. The sage green curtains around her cot were drawn, save for a small gap. Theodore Nott sat on a stool at the foot of the bed with his back to the gap.

"How is the hangover, Granger?" Nott asked in a condescending tone.

Hermione could feel her headache coming back swiftly. "It's fine." She said curtly.

He rolled his eyes.

"How kind of you to drop by. I certainly was not expecting it. Were you visiting someone in the hospital wing?" She enquired. "Malfoy perhaps?"

He snapped in retort. "Do you wish me to pass on your apologies to Malfoy?"

"No, thank you." She said stiffly. "Did you forget something then? Is that why you are here?"

Could this interaction get even more uncomfortable she thought to herself. Hermione waited for him to get to make his point or leave and preferably the latter. He looked settled on the stool at edge of her bed. She took a moment to observe him. His eyes were red-rimmed, the bags under them darkening with each fist rub. Hermione cleared her throat. "Madame Pomphrey mentioned that you brought me here, which I am grateful for." She clasped her hands together. They were clammy. "And thank you also for helping the girls last night. I hope we did not cause you too much trouble."

His expression remained unchanged from bland, bored, and mildly irritated. Hopefully, he would leave soon, and she could put this whole sordid mess behind her.

"It's not going anywhere." He spoke sharply.

She blinked a few times and covered her hand with her mouth. "Gosh, did I say all that aloud? Must be the fire whisky talking!" She laughed to dispel the awkwardness.

In a masterstroke of deflection, he picked up the charts affixed to the end of Hermione's bed and flicked through its pages. If she had any suspicions about his capabilities, they were quickly forgotten.

"Excuse me. Do you mind? That is confidential?"

Apparently judging from his micro expressions, it made for an interesting read. She strained for a look.

"There was a love potion in your system as expected. Your drink was spiked."

"What?" She said, shocked. "Give me that!" Hermione lunged forwards.

"Fortunately for you Granger, it was not amortentia but a crude and half-baked concoction. He batted her hand away. "Your admirer lacks financial means - a Weasley, perhaps?"

Hermione bristled, knowing his scathing commentary was starting strong.

"However, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to spike your drink?" He squinted at the page. "Fear not - Madame Pomfrey also suspects that you were not the intended target."

She snapped. "If you do not hand me back my chart now, I will scream for Madame Pomphrey. I am sure the last thing you will want is to be associated with a muggle borne Gryffindor because gossip travels fast."

He looked up from his reading. "Madame Pomphrey already knows that I am here. She was quite touched over my concern for your recovery." He added offhand. "I forgot you tell you that I brought you flowers. I left them at the nurse's station. I was told it was a muggle convention."

Hermione felt like she had been knocked sideways. He continued regardless. "You presented with confusion and an altered mental status – in a state of disarray, Granger. You were found wandering the corridors and was brought in by an unnamed Slytherin male student who provided a brief collateral history. Your diagnosis is alcohol intoxication with secondary poisoning with an off-label love potion. You received supportive care only. You refused next of kin involvement and so your head of department was informed instead." He turned the page. "That was your clinical summary. Try to remember the details. Your account of events must align with Madame Pomfrey's."

"Why did you get me flowers? Who told you to get me flowers?"

Nott inhaled slowly, the bridge of his nose held between his index and thumb, his countenance far from meditative. "You are not listening, Granger. At least four members of my house observed your muggle footwear. To divert suspicions from your criminal activities, I have discarded your hideous apparel in the great lake."

Hermione was speechless momentarily, but she found her voice quickly. "You threw my shoes away? How dare you throw my shoes away? Is this a joke? They were my best pair!"

"I weighed them down with stones, of course."

"Are you going to buy me a new pair Nott?" Hermione snarled; half tempted to throw a slipper at him to get him to look up from his reading. She then remembered how he had disposed of another pair like a body in the great lake. It was an utterly terrifying thought.

He snapped. "Now is not the time Granger to become hysterical."

She flinched. Had he just read her mind?

He caught himself and took a steadying breath. "You need to pay attention to what I am telling you. He added, "While you have been convalescing this morning, I placed a memory charm on Draco Malfoy."

"You put a memory charm on Draco Malfoy?" She repeated, her brain struggling to compute. "Why? Why are you telling me this?"

"Malfoy is the only person from Slytherin who can place you at the dungeon. He will not be able to recall you hexing him last night, thanks to the charm. You never visited the dungeon last night. Do you understand me?"

She stared at him in confusion.

"You and Madame Pomphrey will be questioned if Malfoy's father orders an official enquiry. You got drunk at or after the Gryffindor party and I found you roaming the corridors and brought you to the hospital wing. I visited you this morning. We spoke for some time at your bedside. That is all you know. I advise you to inform your gaggle of female friends to say the same thing. They never left the Gryffindor common room."

"Who is going to believe that?" asked Hermione incredulously.

"A lot of my male housemates." Nott said solemnly. "They would rather believe they were attacked by Gryffindor boys than they had been given the run-around by the Gryffindor girls."

"But Harry and Ron have alibis."

"So what?" He snarled. "If the enquiry does not go anywhere, it will eventually be shut down."

"Why are you so afraid of an enquiry? What is the worst to happen if they found out the truth? Will we be suspended?" She asked. A question that made perfect sense in her head sounded jilted and wanting when spoken aloud. She could have kicked herself.

"Do you want to be suspended?" His tone was pithy.

"No…" Her voice trailed off.

This entire conversation was like pulling teeth. He sympathised with Granger's parents. "Your little prank has set events in motion in Slytherin house, which cannot be undone. It has also uncovered other details. Malfoy's father will be arriving very shortly. I suspect he had some plans for his son's future which have now gone awry. I am trying to clear up the mess that you and your friends have left."

"What other details?"

He shook his head in exasperation.

She asked the question she should have asked all along. "Why are you helping me Nott?"

"I am not helping you, Granger. I am helping myself. You had better heed my advice instead of asking pointless questions."

Realisation dawned on her as she surveyed the drawn curtains around her bedside and considered the flowers, the medical notes. "I am your alibi. That's why you're here."

He dropped his gaze for half a second, the closest to an admission of guilt she would ever receive.

She bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling with anger. "You have made me complicit."

He admonished her. "You were always complicit Granger."

She could have sworn.

"If you are feeling courageous like a true Gryffindor, you should tell someone of authority that I put a memory charm on Malfoy this morning. While you are at it, you can tell them how you and your friends hexed Malfoy into a coma outside the dungeons, you trespassed into the dungeons, stole Polyjuice from Professor Snape's office, impersonated several members of Slytherin house and caused an explosion like you did in Professor Slughorn's potions class. Flint was injured from trampling that ensued. His arm is broken, and he will be kicked off the team if he does not recover quickly enough. He is in the next bay if you would like to convey your regards."

"I had nothing to do with the second explosion. Even the first explosion was not my fault!" Hermione said vehemently. "I did not do anything to Flint!"

Theo shrugged in response. "Not feeling brave enough to own up to your actions? You would have made a good Ravenclaw, Granger."

"Or a Slytherin, it would seem." Hermione hissed. The flowers and the apparent concern none of it meant anything. She could not bear to look at him. What she had perceived initially as a kind and thoughtful gesture was merely a ploy. She had never met anyone as manipulative as him, who's cunning and ruthlessness outflanked her at every turn. Then it struck her. "You have made a considerable effort for a simple memory charm. What else have you done?"

To her surprise, he answered her. "I searched Malfoy's person for a letter, Granger. That's' all."

She studied the folds in her blanket. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"No." He lied.

Madame Pomphrey peered her head around the curtains. "Theodore, I am afraid visiting time is over. Hermione needs to rest."

"Certainly." His whole posture changed as he stood from slouched to ramrod straight. He tucked the stool into a corner and put on his outer robe, fastened the buttons, and bowed his head. Her chart was already back in its docket, as though it had never left it. Nott drew the curtains back, carefully, as though not to wake a baby from sleep. "I wish you a speedy recovery, Hermione." He used her given name. How considerate. His exit was formal like a statesman. Both women watched him go, his carriage and rhythmic stride unmistakable even into the distance. Long moments passed.

Madame Pomphrey said, "He brought you some gardenias."

"He did, did he? "Hermione said absently.

"For health and safety reasons Granger, I cannot allow the flowers onto the bay. They remain at the nurse's station. I have kept them in water for you." Madame Pomphrey cleared her throat. "It's a lovely gesture Granger, you must admit."

"I suppose it beats having my drink spiked."

Madame Pomfrey added. "It probably wasn't your drink, dear."#

Black billowing robes rounded the corner from the hospital wing, its occupant a pasty contrasting complexion. A murder of crows greeted Theodore Nott. Professor Snape wasted no time with salutations. "There you are. You have been summoned to the headmaster's office."

Only Snape could turn the word summoned into three syllables. Theo's stomach tightened. He inclined his head in a mock show of respect and fell in step behind his Head of House.

Snape's eyebrows rose at his lack of protest, though his stride did not falter. Theodore Nott had been expecting the summons. He baited him. "Lucius Malfoy is keen to know exactly what happened to his son last night."

"Of course." Nott replied without inflection.

Snape glanced over his shoulder at his student. More accustomed to Nott's withering sarcasm and silent hostility, Snape did not know what to make of his apparent disinterest. The boy's hard-edged gaze seemed dull to the point of lethargy. It could not simply be from a lack of sleep. He wondered if Nott had used his magic abilities excessively the night before. For all his posturing, the boy had never managed to acquire his father's Legilimency. A fact lamented by the Dark Lord who described Theodore's abilities as stunted in comparison. While Nott had been skulking around the hospital wing, his bosom companion and fellow incompetent wayward was notably absent.

When they arrived at the phoenix' revolving staircase outside Dumbledore's office, a firm hand grabbed Theo and shook out him out of his sleepless reverie. "I am watching you, Nott. Any funny business, anything at all!"

Theo entered Dumbledore's office for the first time, taking in little of the magical artifacts adorning the room, the phoenix perched, a pensieve or the reams of magical tomes. He was greeted warmly by his headmaster. "Hello Theodore, take a seat. He enquired politely. "Are you well?"

"Yes Professor."

"You look a little peaky. Sherbet lemon?"

Not declined the proffered confectionary.

Lucius Malfoy flicked his white mane over his shoulder and regarded Theo haughtily, velvet robes sprawled over the back of the armchair. He tapped his redundant but highly ornate walking cane positioned against the armchair leg. Nott barely acknowledged Malfoy Senior's theatrics on a good day, but today he was on his best behaviour. He gave a short bow before being seated. "Mr Malfoy."

Lucius Malfoy would not reciprocate the gesture and kept tapping.

"Theodore, I think it would be helpful for us all if you could tell us what happened last night." Said Professor Dumbledore.

He started to explain but Malfoy Senior interrupted with a cough. "Albus, I didn't come all the way to hear a carefully concocted longwinded explanation."

Dumbledore raised his hand. He turned to Theo and fixed him with a hard stare. "I agree with Lucius. Let us go to the heart of the matter, Theodore. You are the only person from our enquiries who claimed to see any Gryffindors on the night in question. How do you explain this?"

He remembered Blaise's words. Be concise. Stick to the facts. Do not under any circumstances lie to Dumbledore. He is a better Legilimens than you are. They had practiced in the morning, long enough for his responses to be immediate. He was convincingly tired. His answers were fittingly short and terse. The facts were all he could remember, from under his pounding headache. Theo gathered his thoughts. He spoke directly. "After Malfoy was found unconscious, I used my Legilimency to find out who the last person Draco had set eyes on."

Professor Dumbledore interrupted. "And you saw Harry Potter. You are sure you saw Harry Potter?"

"Yes Professor."

"See that's interesting Theodore. Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley were supervised by our caretaker and ground staff Argus Filch doing laps of the quidditch pitch during the time of the attack. Dumbledore said. "There were several witnesses. Would you like to retract your earlier statement, Theodore?" Professor Dumbledore asked his tone benign.

The muscles tightened in Theo's face. "No, I would not Professor."

Lucius Malfoy rapped his cane against the hardwood. "This is a farce!"

Dumbledore ignored the outburst. "How could Harry Potter be in two places at the same time Theodore?"

"I would not know Professor. The use of Polyjuice potion may explain it."

"Where would one acquire the Polyjuice potion you speak of?" Professor Snape snarled.

His eyes met Professor Snape briefly and adroitly he avoided the question. "My Legilimency is not perfect. It is possible I had accessed a repressed memory, relating to Slytherins recent defeat at the hands of Gryffindor quidditch team." Theo explained.

"Repressed memory? You think my son has repressed memories?" Lucius Malfoy challenged. "My son is a well-adjusted and sensible boy. He does not have repressed memories!"

Professor Snape rolled his eyes. Interestingly, he did not make any additional inquiries into the Polyjuice potion. Snape was unsure if any was missing which meant he had not yet checked or secured his secret stash. Theo's lips twitched in a half smile.

"If it wasn't Potter who attacked my son, then who was it?"

"I can assure you Harry Potter and his company was not involved." Dumbledore said.

"What about the muggle girl?" Lucius asked imperiously.

Professor Snape smirked. "Granger was intoxicated from a raucous Gryffindor party and found collapsed in a corridor on the way to the hospital wing. She was admitted overnight."

"So, you have no answers for me as to who attacked my son?"

Theo kept very still the zigzag patterned carpet swimming before his eyes.

Dumbledore hesitated. "I am afraid it is too early to comment on who or what caused the disturbance in the Slytherin common room, but I can promise you it will be looked into."

Lucius Malfoy rapped his cane against the hardwood floor. "My son was attacked outside the dungeons not in the common room. It was clearly hooliganism by the Gryffindor quidditch team!"

Dumbledore remained unfazed by Malfoy's plumage display. "It is certainly an avenue we must explore. Severus, have we accounted for the whereabouts of all the Gryffindor players last night?"

"Yes, headmaster." Snaped drawled. "Except for the female players e.g., Spinnet, Bell and the like."

Malfoy Senior dabbed an embroidered handkerchief over his mouth. "I think that's hardly necessary."

Dumbledore continued. "Severus, I am keen to know whether there were any reports of theft from the dungeon?"

"No." Snape said very slowly. "I do not believe anything was stolen from the dungeon." Again, the word 'believe' did not sound convincing to anyone's ears.

"What about my son's affects?" Lucius Malfoy drawled. "Do we know of anything belonging to Draco that was stolen?"

Theo's heartbeat kicked up a notch. Lucius Malfoy was known for his extravagance but not his subtlety. The letter in his pockets figuratively weighed as much as a rooftile. He straightened his posture.

Professor Snape looked stumped for half a second before regaining his composure. He pried gently. "The school cannot be held responsible for a student's personal property. Was there anything you thought missing when you went to visit your son this morning?"

Lucius Malfoy smiled frostily. "I would like to see my son's room and make certain that nothing was taken from him. Draco can afford a lifestyle unrivalled by many of his peers. Envy makes for light fingers." He bared his teeth at Theo. "Is your father keeping well these days?"

"Yes, he is doing well. Thank you for asking. I will pass on your regards, Mr Malfoy - a tonic for all ills."

Lucius scowled immediately at his light jibe.

Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly. "Visiting Draco's room can be arranged Lucius."

Malfoy ignored the headmaster's gesture of good will and pressed on. "I visited Draco this morning. He claims not to know who attacked him. It was as though a memory charm had wiped clean any recollection he had of the night before. How do you explain this?" He pointed the head of his bejeweled cane at Nott.

"I did not alter Draco's memory when I used my Legilimency last night." Theo stated blandly.

Dumbledore interceded. "Theodore's abilities are certainly not as consistent as his father's, Lucius." He waved in Theo's direction. "Meaning no disrespect to Theodore, what you are suggesting far exceeds any students' capabilities. It would be incredibly challenging for a wizard or witch to successfully administer a wandless nonverbal obliviate spell in front of a large audience of his peers."

"What about this morning?"

Dumbledore interrupted before Theo could formulate his answer. "He has an alibi."

Nott looked up very briefly and looked back down quickly as he caught Snape's eye.

"It is all very strange." Professor Snape stated.

In Theo's opinion it seemed to last forever. There was no end to Malfoy's demands. He demanded a resignation from a Head of house. When Professor Snape refused to hand in his resignation, he ordered Slughorn's resignation, another Slytherin teacher. He was not particularly keen on for an official inquiry into events (an opinion loosely referred to his tirade) but an exacting punishment for all members of the Gryffindor quidditch team, regardless of involvement. He demanded to know why Montague and Flint, the former quidditch captain who had so bravely defended the dungeons from attack, were never made prefects. In the same breath he recommended that his son, the current quidditch captain, given his bravery in the face of Gryffindor aggression would be an ideal candidate for Head boy. He assured Professor Dumbledore that the Hogwarts school board would fully support Draco's candidacy. Should Draco not make an adequate recovery in time to resume his duties, a vice head boy could perform Draco's duties in his stead. Crabbe came highly recommended by the board. Professor Snape who had been rolling his eyes throughout the conversation had ceased blinking in the second half of Malfoy's monologue. Theo was equally lost for words and had bitten through his bottom lip. Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Lucius as always, a pleasure. Theodore, why don't you show Mr Malfoy to the dungeons?"

"Well Severus, what did you make of it?"

Professor Snape rolled his eyes. "The boy is a compulsive liar but even for him this was an exceptional performance. Though he had help." He said pointedly.

"Professor Dumbledore nodded in agreement. They sat opposite each other in patterned armchairs, sipping a warm brew. Sunbeams streamed through a miniature stain glass window, casting a soft orange glow. "Theodore had an answer for every question we could throw at him. It was exactly as Lucius said – carefully concocted." Dumbledore asked. "I am keen to know what his movements were this morning."

Snape put down his teacup and saucer. "I found him near the hospital wing."

"I find it unlikely that Theodore cast a memory charm upon Draco last night in front of all his Slytherin housemates. This morning however is a different matter."

"We can of course find out what the last spell his wand used."

"He will have thought of that, Severus and cast many spells since." Dumbledore sighed, leisurely stirring his second sugar cube. "In fact, I know it was him."

"You believe that Nott attacked Malfoy?" Snape asked for clarification.

"No. I do not think he attacked Draco Malfoy, but he knows who did. He is protecting someone."

"He is not known for his altruism. Nott would not provide assistance to another unless it were in his own self-interest." Professor Snape remarked. "You defended him on a number of occasions throughout our chat with Lucius."

"This is no simple case of hooliganism. Something was stolen from your office, not to mention the Polyjuice. Draco was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Nott would not dare to steal from my office."

"Who would steal from your office?"

Professor Snape paused for thought. "A Gryffindor most likely. There are one or two I can think of that lack respect for authority. The Weasley twins." He shook his head. "What was his alibi? You said Nott had a solid alibi. Even he looked surprised at your mention of it."

"What if I told you that Theodore Nott helped get a girl to the hospital wing last night. He went back and visited the same girl this morning. Poppy told me in confidence he never left the girl's bedside."

Snape snorted. "His father was most displeased at last year's board meeting at the mere mention of his son's interactions with Tracey Davis. Tracey Davis is half blood. The preferred half earned a meagre wage, was of modest standing and a desperate social climber. Nott's father put a swift end to that entanglement as soon as he heard of it. If Theodore has taken up with Davis again, he has fallen a great deal in my regard."

Dumbledore chuckled. "What if I told you the girl was not Tracey Davis."

"It would be a great relief, Albus."

Dumbledore dipped his digestive biscuit into his tea. "Severus, the girl in question was a Gryffindor."

"A what?"

"You heard correctly the first time."

Professor Snape's eyebrows rose steadily into his hairline.

The headmaster paused, glancing at the name of the brand. It brought a wry smile to his lips. "She is also a muggle."

Snape choked on his tea and sputtered biscuit crumbs down the front of his robes. When he regained his speech, he uttered in all seriousness. "The boy has truly lost his way."

Dumbledore guffawed with laughter.

The owlery was empty save for one. Theo stepped over the frozen bird droppings, and icy stone slabs, gripping the railing with a tight fist. He was not dressed for the occasion, but Malfoy certainly had been. Blaise had been correct in his assumption. The letter he had kept in his breast pocket burned like a brand on his chest. He found his roommate with Malfoy's black owl settled on his arm, and Blaise was stroking its wing gently with the other hand, whispering soft nothings. Nott pulled out the letter from his breast pocket. He had expected Blaise to laugh or say I told you so, but Blaise' expression turned sombre. He turned towards Nott slowly and gestured to the letter opener he had brought from their room.

Nott asked to break this silence "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"You first."

Nott shrugged and in one sharp motion opened the seal on the envelope. There was no address on the letter. He unfolded the parchment carefully and peered at Draco's penmanship. It was unsigned. The dots were missing on I's and the t's were uncrossed. It was a rushed job and remarkably brief.

What does it say? Blaise asked over the top of the bobbing owl's head.

Theo read it aloud. "I have located the item in the required room. It needs repairing. The hinge is broken. The spell does not work. Please advise." No signature and no addressee. He tucked the letter back into its envelope.

Judging from Blaise's expression he made even less sense of the letter than Nott did. The handwriting belonged to Malfoy. A tracing charm on the owl would identify the recipient but could draw suspicion. Blaise shuddered as a squall ripped through the owlery, startling the bird. He soothed it and fed it with nibbles from his robe pocket. "Are we sending the letter?" He asked.

A lively cacophony of owls flitting from one perch to another, foraging for their neighbours' food. Theo peered out at the lake, an expansive grey mirror that plunged to murky depths. Was he ready to leave his father's home and all its trappings? Would he pursue a path that would put him in conflict with father and his father's Master? His indecision was all too visible.

Blaise groaned. "We talked about this Theo. We do not have a choice. We need to send the letter now if we want to stay a step ahead.

"We are not playing a game, Blaise."

"If we delay sending the letter, the recipient will find out about Malfoy's vegetative state and come to the correct conclusion that he could not have sent the letter that he bloody wrote."

"Are you listening to me? This is bigger than just stealing Malfoy's correspondence with a pen pal."

"And this is not the time to have cold feet." Blaise reprimanded. "You cannot bury your head in the sand and hope it all goes away or wait it out because you think you know how to endure. Even Montague knows that you do not want to get involved in house politics. He is banking on it."

Theo swore, tempted to throw the letter into the great lake and be rid of it. "I don't place much importance on Montague's opinion."

Blaise let an exasperated sigh. "Do you want to be like Malfoy? His entire family is bound to the Voldemort. The higher they rise in the Death eater ranks, the closer they get to the Dark Lord, the harder it is to escape Him or refuse his demands. The chains only tighten." Blaise said. "This place, this school is our home." The black owl cooed softly on Blaise' forearm and buried its feathered head into his chest. "You have more freedom in Hogwarts than on your father's estate. Do you want the Dark Lord's influence to extend into this school and ruin what little joy we have here?"

"We will be pariahs of our own house if we do this."

"You hated all of them anyway." Blaise volleyed with ease.

It took a minute of silent frenzied pacing. Theo eventually folded the letter and secured the letter to Malfoy's owl's leg. If Blaise was relieved, it did not show. "Did you find what you were looking for in Snape's office?" Theo deflected. "We cannot search it again."

"Yes and no. You wanted something to bargain with Granger. It is not what we initially agreed on - hear me out." He said as Nott scowled. "It will work - I promise you. Granger is going to need help getting back into Slughorn's good books if she wants that prefectship."

Theo nodded. "Fine. Lucious Malfoy is currently searching Malfoy's room and unofficially he might search ours as well." Theo warned.

"All the items are on my person." Blaise said. It was tantalising being one step ahead. Staying ahead would require all his skill and his friend's. He might be in Slytherin house, but Blaise had no intention of being Voldemort's lackey. It would not be a future he chose for Theo.

"Then you need to stay out of sight, at least until Lucius Malfoy is gone." Theo said.

"Can you remember Draco's message?"

Theo tapped side of his head. "It's all up here."

"We have charms in five minutes. We need to go now. We cannot afford to miss classes today. We can assume we are going to be watched closely." Blaise said offhand. "By the way, you look terrible."