The First Day
"I don't know what you're talking about, Flint," Draco replied sourly at dinner. He hoped his scowl masked his nervousness as he picked at the food on his plate.
"You've been rather 'Gryffindor friendly' if you know what I mean. To a certain someone you always used to hate."
"You mean Harry," Draco muttered unhappily.
"Yes. And Weasely. And Mudblood Granger. What's going on with you Draco? You don't even do impressions anymore."
"I'm just not in the mood. Leave me alone. Can't I eat in peace?"
"You just watch who you hang out with. There's some very strange rumors flying around. Someone thought it was funny to say you have a crush on Granger because they saw you smile at her in the hall or something," Flint told him.
Draco nearly choked on his pumpkin juice and started coughing. Goyle had to pound him on the back. "Granger?!" he croaked. "Allright, this is getting ridiculous. Yes, I hate Gryffindors and I would never go out with Hermione!!! I barely know her for one thing! Honestly! What kind of dunderhead--"
Malfoy shut up when he realized how loud he was being. He shot a look over at the Gryffindor table and saw that Granger, obviously having overheard his protests, was sitting with a rather disgusted look on her face. Draco gave a snort of laughter - she was just as offended as he was.
Flint frowned at him and Draco glared back. "I'm getting really tired of everyone thinking I'm chummy with Gryffindors just because I don't insult Harry every chance I get anymore. Really, just because I don't taunt them as much doesn't mean I'm going to start rooting for them at Quidditch or something. I'll always be loyal to the Slytherins," Draco hissed, furiously. He glared at the other Slytherins as if daring them to argue with him.
Marcus Flint shook his head. "I'm not telling you how to live out your social life, Malfoy. I'm asking you not to embarrass us. For your own good. That rumor about you and Granger had no basis whatsoever, but it was spread most likely to discourage you from even looking at those three if you could help it. I don't think you can take the pressure most people will put on you if they suspect you of being a Gryffindor sympathizer. I'm not threatening you; I'm warning you. Because I don't want to hear you whining to your father about us mistreating you if you keep acting funny."
Draco frowned, but nodded that he understood. He was going to have to write a letter to Harry and tell him about this. Draco wasn't friends with Harry, but he no longer hated him, and he had no wish for Harry to think he'd ungratefully forgotten what Harry had done for him in Cromwell's class. However, his behavior was really going to have to change if he wanted the Slytherins off his case.
Draco sighed. This was getting out of hand. Sometimes he found himself hating the school rivalries between Houses. Sometimes he even wished he was in a different House. Not Gryffindor, heavens no! Maybe Ravenclaw or something - people were a lot more intelligent in Ravenclaw. His father would have a fit if he got put in Gryffindor. So would Draco. Everyone would expect him to be a model student if he was in Gryffindor - something that Draco wasn't nor had any desire to be.
Draco sighed as the dinner plates disappeared and Dumbledore announced that it was time for bed.
As he filed out with the other students, he caught Harry's eye. Harry grinned at him quickly, then hurried after the Gryffindors before Draco could return the smile. Which was a good thing because Snape was suddenly standing before him.
"Yes, Professor?" asked Draco casually. If it was one thing he was grateful for, it was that Snape didn't take the school House rivalry so far as to tell him who he was allowed smile or scowl at.
"You have a visitor, it appears."
Draco's eyes widened hopefully and he followed Snape to the school's main entrance. A steady rain was starting up, Draco noted, glancing out the window. If it was Karyli, she would be soaked. Draco crossed his fingers. He'd recieved no reply by owl, so perhaps it wasn't Karyli after all. She would have written him back first, surely.
"Lucius," Snape greeted, stopping suddenly. "A surprise to see you here." "Hello, Severus," Lucius hissed, eyes narrowing. Draco paled. What was his father doing here?!
"Did I miss your little convention last time? A pity," Snape said, coldly.
"Where are you taking Draco, might I ask?" Lucius asked.
"I was taking him to my classroom. The boy asked for an extra credit assignment to help bring his grades up over Granger's," Snape lied. Draco fought to keep his face straight. He never, in a million years, thought Snape would lie to his father.
This changed Lucius' attitude quite a bit. "Well, good then. I'm pleased the boy is making an effort in his schoolwork. Although," he added, amost under his breath, "Helping my son in this small way is not doing extremely well to raise my opinions of your betrayal to Lord Voldemort. He is still willing to take you back, Severus. You may want to consider his rather rare and extravagant sign of mercy before you waste any more precious time bowing and scraping to that idiot Dumbledore."
"I will consider it, Lucius. Now what business brings you here?"
"I've come to meet the new 'Defense Against The Dark Arts' teacher. To make sure Dumbledore doesn't hire another of my old servants," Lucius spat. He looked at Draco, one eyebrow raised, and finally addressed him.
"What did Cromwell say, Draco? Anything?" he asked softly.
Draco then remembered his anger about Karyli. "It was most interesting, Father," he said in a cold tone that made Lucius' eyes narrow. "She told me about the first time you met Voldemort."
Lucius gave a sharp intake of air and let it out in a snarl. "I can imagine the effect such an embarrassing lie may have had on you, Draco. We'll talk later about what truly happened. If you'll excuse me, Severus. I'm about due for my meeting with Dumbledore." Lucius walked past them, his cloak swishing behind him.
Draco made a face at him then turned around and began walking to the main entrance with Snape. He looked up at Snape and was surprised to see a slight smirking grin on his teacher's face. Snape had caught Draco sticking out his tongue at Lucius and was rather amused about it.
"I really am mad at him, you know," Draco admitted, sheepishly.
"I understand, Draco. I heard about Karyli as well. Lucius won't be bothering her, don't worry," Snape said, gently putting a hand on Draco's shoulder. "She'll be staying here, Lucius or no."
"Does Lucius know she's coming?"
"She's already here."
"She is?! So she is my visitor!"
'Shhh, yes. I suppose you would have guessed by now."
"It's pouring. Did she come on motorcycle?"
"Yes, but don't worry. She used the water-shield charm just as it began to rain. Hogwarts was already just ahead of her by then; all she had to worry about was landing," Snape stopped as they entered the lobby of the main entrance.
Draco saw her talking to Dumbledore and although he wanted to run to her, he forced himself to walk normally. Karyli saw him immediately and waved cheerily, her features glowing with happiness. Just as Draco remembered her before his damn father had . . .
Draco hugged her tightly, feeling a hot tear slide out of his eye and soaking into her robes. "I missed you," he said at length, somewhat muffled by her velvet cloak. He took in the smell of her - foxglove and thyme mixed together with the smell of rain. She smelled like a field of wild flowers just after a storm.
"Karyli, I'm sorry," he said, when he finally let go to look up at her. "He had all the letters ripped up and I was afraid to send you an owl in case you'd run away and was hiding from him, and even if I had, I wouldn't have gotten a response back because --"
"Draco, it's alright," Karyli said, smiling. "I'm here now. And I'll be staying."
"For how long?" Draco asked, wistfully. He hoped it was forever.
"For the rest of the year. I'm your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Draco's jaw dropped.
"You're joking!"
"Nope. Just tell me if I'm too boring, 'cause then Snape could take over-- whoa! Lemme breathe please --" Karyli gasped, half-joking as Draco wrapped his arms around her again, tighter than before. He suddenly let go with a gasp as he remembered something.
"Oh no," Draco said, weakly.
"What?"
"Father's here."
"Oh. Yes . . . he'll be, um . . . rather surprised, to say the least."
"Rather disgusted, you mean," Lucius snapped.
Draco shuddered with anger and foreboding as he turned with the others to face Mr. Malfoy. Lucius' eyes rested angrily on Draco, then moved to Karyli and dilated with fury. The same fury had twisted his face before, as far as Draco could remember.
"So. You decide to turn up to Hogwarts looking for a decent job after you ran away from home? Of all places. I don't see why you didn't decide to teach Muggle children as you loved them so much."
"Ran away from home?" Draco couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "You lied to me then, Father! And you dare lie to me now?!"
Lucius shook with rage. "Hold your tongue, Draco. I understand it's hard enough finding out your sister is a Muggle-lover, but to believe her over me is ridiculous and will not go unpunished."
"Believing you at all was ridiculous. You lied to me about everything!" Draco hissed.
"And who told you this? Cromwell? Yes, she would, wouldn't she?"
"I finally got a letter from Karyli, Father. One that didn't get ripped up. Now why would you rip those letters if there wasn't a lie to hide?"
"Because I didn't want her to give you any ideas!"
"Which now proves to me that you disowned her! Because you were afraid she'd make me 'weak'. You were afraid that as long as she was around, I wouldn't grow up just . . . like . . . you!"
Lucius whipped out his wand and pointed it at Karyli. Draco's eyes widened in horror, but Snape and Dumbledore took action.
"Expellarimus!" they both shouted at once. Lucius' wand went flying out of his grasp.
"You will not last, Karyli. Not for more than two days!" Lucius hissed. "I'll see to that!"
Furious and still at wandpoint by Snape, Dumbledore, and now Karyli herself, Lucius carefully picked up his wand, storing it safely in his robe pocket, and stalked away, not without giving one last glare - directed at Draco.
Karyli sighed, bent down, and hugged Draco tightly. She was trembling slightly, and Draco remembered nights where she would cry and he would sit beside her, letting her hold on to him like she was now. He had never known exactly what had made her cry, but after seeing Lucius' anger-twisted features and hearing his poisonous words toward her, he knew now.
"He's never lost control like that before. Never. That was the first time he's ever turned his wand on me."
"Father's a Death-Eater again," Draco whispered in her ear.
"I see, then. Draco, he's probably going to punish you for mouthing off to him. I'd give him time to cool off before you go home."
"Should I stay here for Christmas, then?" Draco asked, bitterly. He'd always teased Potter about not being wanted home. Now it didn't seem so funny.
"Perhaps. I'd like it if we could spend a Christmas together."
"Yeah," Draco said, squeezing his sister's hand. "Me too."
"Hello class. You may all call me Professor Karyli," said the new teacher, a bit nervously. Draco nodded encouragingly at her and she smiled briefly.
"Today's topic is how to tell if you're poisoned and what to do after you're poisoned." There was a great deal of muttering and Karyli held up her hands. "I know, I know. It sounds like Potions class. But believe me, it's different. No making poison, for one thing. We'll be testing it instead, on this plant. Just to see what it'll do to you. We will also be studying about the antidotes, and their effects - how fast they take to start working and all that. It's useful to know - there'll be a time in your life when you might come across poison through someone else's ill will. Or by complete accident when you try to conjure something and do something wrong. It's happened to the best of us. Draco can tell you all a story, involving the neighbor's poodle."
Draco coughed to cover up his laughter. "I'll tell you all later," he said to the rest of the class.
Karyli pulled out a large potted plant from the closet and struggled to carry it to the front desk.
"You might as well tell them now, Draco. I've got to get this ready -- ergh, heavy."
Hermione jumped up and asked if she could help. "Yeah, make sure I don't trip over something." Karyli told her, eyes blinded by the dense foilage of the plant. "I can't see a darn thing."
"Alright. See, there was this horrid poodle and kept yapping at nothing all day and all night. Father complained about it to no end. So Karyli decided to do something about it."
"What did she do?" asked Pansy, leaning forward to hear better.
"She was trying to make a 'Larynsilo' potion. It would take the poodle's voice away until the occasion arised in which there was an actual reason to bark. Like a fire, or something. Well . . . she kind of messed up."
"Kind of? Look, don't go easy on me, Draco, I made that poor dog's hair turn blue." Karyli said, having gotten the plant safely to the desk.
The class burst out laughing. "That's not all that happened to it. It ended up shrinking to the size of a mouse and ran in little circles barking. Mrs. Grindle went beserk. She loved that dog, and now she had to put the thing in a hamster cage so she wouldn't accidentally step on it," continued Draco. Once again, laughter filled the classroom.
"Yes, yes, well, my embarrassing story is out now," said Karyli, rather quickly. "Now, lets get on with today's lesson."
She opened her bag and took out three small vials with dark liquid in them, and set them off to the right. She then took out three more vials with light-colored potion in it, and set them towards the left.
"Can anyone tell me which is the poison, and which is the antidote?"
Most of the Slytherins and Gryffindors guessed that all the dark-colored vials were the poisons while Hermione and a few others pointed at the light-colored liquid group.
Karyli raised her hands for silence. "None of you are entirely correct. There is no way to tell from just looking at the vials which is poison, and which is antidote. Which is why it is so easy for most people to be poisoned."
"Poisoning was one of the most widely feared deaths among the Muggles, especially in medieval times. Many decided to drink only what they themselves had brought along with them. They took nothing to drink or eat from strangers, no matter how kind or harmless those strangers might be. In Muggle mythology at least, this saved a lot of lives."
"What do we care about Muggles?" sneered a male Slytherin. Draco fidgeted, uncomfortably. It was rather . . . unimportant to bring up Muggles, but he wasn't going to bother Karyli about that in front of the whole class. It appeared someone else was willing, however.
Karyli raised an eyebrow. "I guess somebody's a little eager to get on with the demonstration," she said, amused.
"But why? I mean, it doesn't matter. We're not Muggles. Not all of us," sneered Pansy, looking over at Hermione. Draco groaned inwardly. Karyli was not going to stand for the Slytherins' usual indifference and hostility toward Muggles and 'mudbloods'. And here Pansy was, riling Karyli up on her first day of teaching class.
"I don't see what your problem is, Parkinson. But I'd thank you to keep your mind off your petty differences and pay attention to the lesson," Karyli said coolly, able to mask her anger - much to Draco's relief. "The point about the Muggles is this -- they had no way of telling poisoned wine from good wine at first glance, and neither do we. Whether or not you like it, we're as helpless as Muggles to the dangers of poison."
That left the class buzzing, and Karyli raised a hand for silence.
"But there are other ways of telling if there's poison in your pumpkin juice. If you ever suspect you've been poisoned, try the concoction you've just taken a sip out of on an ordinary houseplant. Provided that you don't die ten seconds after you swallow."
A few Slytherins chuckled uneasily at this.
Karyli picked up a light colored vial and showed it to the class. "Although it looks exactly like the other light-colored ones, this is a sure poison. It's called Tristan's Ire and there's a rather interesting story behind it, if you'd like to read up on it in the library. Because I wouldn't want to bore some of you, with Muggle stories," she said, glancing with one eyebrow raised at the surly Slytherin who'd spoken up earlier. He muttered something unintelligible and turned slightly red.
Hermione's hand shot up and Karyli called on her. "Yes, Hermione?"
"How can you tell it's poison?"
"Excellent question. I labeled it on the bottom right before I brewed it." Karyli flipped the vial over and showed the class a small red sticker on the bottom with the potion's name initials written on it. Hermione blushed, embarrassed she hadn't guessed the obvious.
Draco sniggered. "What's so funny?" asked Karyli.
"Mrm, nothing." Draco couldn't help laughing at the look on Hermione's face. She'd been so sure Karyli had picked the wrong bottle up. He flashed Hermione an apologetic grin and she stopped glaring at him and rolled her eyes. He was relieved to see that Ron and Harry were both on the verge of laughter as well.
"Now, boys, that was a good question. I had to look at the labels before I set them down in the order that you see them. I could have easily picked up an antidote by mistake. One must always double check." Hermione perked up at this.
"Now, since sight is obviously out of the question, can anyone tell me what other ways one can detect poison in their food? Draco?" she asked her brother, whose hand was raised.
"The smell of it?"
"That's right! Smell can be used to detect certain poisons. Any other ways? Ron?"
"Um, what it does to the plate or cup it's in?"
"Yes. Very good. That was a way of detecting poison - when it was stirred into the wine sometimes the spoon melted. You can imagine, then, the effect it had on one's insides."
The rest of the class moaned and some made disgusted faces at the mental images that popped up in their heads.
"Not very pleasant, is it? Worse yet, Tristan's Ire is a very subtle potion that will kill quite slowly. The only way to tell you've even been poisoned, is after you've already swallowed it. In other words, by how it kills, which is very unique. Let's see the effect it has on the plant. Draco, bring that bucket over here, would you?"
Curious, Draco got up and picked the empty bucket. He walked to his sister and looked at her in anticipation as she uncorked the bottle of Tristan's Ire.
"When I give the word, hurl the contents of the bucket straight at the plant."
"It's empty."
"I know, I've placed a Water - Summoning Charm on the bucket. Water will fill the bucket when I give the word, and that's when you douse the plant. Allright, here we go now."
Karyli tipped three drops of Tristan's Ire into the plant soil. The effects were going to take about five minutes to show up, Karyli told the rest of the class, so everyone sat patiently (or impatiently) to watch the results.
"Usually, it would take longer to work on a wizard or Muggle since they have more bodily fluids to dry up than this plant. But seeing as how nobody's watered this poor thing for at least a week, it's practically kindling. Oh my, there it goes."
Indeed, smoke was beginning to rise from the leaves. The leaves began to curl up slightly. Quite suddenly, the whole plant burst into flames. Several girls squealed in shock as sparks flew near them. 'Whoa, that was too soon!" cried Karyli. "Now, Draco. Aquatis!" Draco heaved the contents of the now-filled bucket at the flaming plant. It sizzled and sputtered and the flames died. The plant was in a sorry state and the water on the surface of what was left of the plant's foilage was still bubbling from the heat.
"Dousing somebody will do no good," Karyli told the rest of the class. "The poison works from the inside out. Once you catch on fire, you're already dead."
"So . . . there's no use for an antidote?" a Gryffindor asked.
"Yes there is, but there's not much time to concoct it in order to prevent permanent damage to your insides. Unless there's some in your medicine cabinet or on hand immediately. The first thing to be impaired is your mind. So if you're alone when you encounter this poison, you better find someone to help you, quick, before you lose all reason."
"That's dreadful!" muttered Hermione, shuddering. She couldn't imagine being about to die from poisoning and then sitting helplessly around, not having the wits to do anything to save your own life.
"Not as dreadful as the other two poisons I have here. But before we continue with those . . ." Karyli tipped three drops of the antidote into the plant. She took out her wand, pointed it at the charred plant, and muttered something. The foilage fleshed out again and soon the plant was whole once more. "I haven't brought it to life, you understand. It was dead before we began due to the neglect of its previous caretaker. As you all know, magic cannot bring anyone or anything back from the dead. However, magic can make it appear as though something . . . or someone . . . is alive again. We'll cover zombies and the wizards who've used them for dark purposes later on in the year."
"What is the antidote to Tristan's Ire?" asked Hermione.
"There's a whole way of brewing it that's very complex. Even I had a bit of trouble with it. Snape had to help me out more than once. I will tell you the active ingredients, however. Moonflower, crushed dragon-bone, and powdered unicorn horn. Unicorn horn, is always used in antidotes to poison. Usually the antidote is mixed with a unicorn horn, but sometimes it's ground to dust and added in."
Hermione scribbled this down in her notes.
The rest of class was quite eventful. Karyli showed the class a new poison, called Demon's Nectar, which ended up raising so many questions from both the Slytherins and the Gryffindors, that she ran out of time before she could tell them about the poison's antidote.
"We'll continue class tomorrow starting from where we left off. See you then. No homework because you all payed excellent attention. If any of you want to read the story behind either Tristan's Ire or Demon's Nectar, it's in the library in the book Archaic Poisons Still Used Today in the restricted section. I'll be happy to sign a permission slip."
"Why's it in the restriction section?" asked Hermione. "It's just the history."
"It's there because not only does it tell you about the poisons. It tells you how to brew them."
"What?!" cried most of the Gryffindors in shock.
"If you can read the directions -which are in Archaic runes, unlike the background story - and find the rare ingredients the poisons require, then you could use the book to poison someone you didn't like. So it's rather safe among you students, never fear."
There were audible sighs of relief and the students began to file out of the classroom. Draco and Hermione lingered behind.
"Yes, Hermione?" Karyli asked as Hermione reached the front desk first.
"Can you give me a permission slip?"
"Oh yes, certainly. You really like to do research, don't you?" Karyli asked, fishing around for a pen and permission slip in one of the desk drawers.
"Oh, I love it. Ron and Harry think I'm daft for looking for more work, but they don't know how interesting or useful having background information is. Oh, and just to be on the safe side, what was the antidote to Demon's Nectar? I'm not going to be able to sleep until I figure it out. That's such a horrid poison," Hermione said with a shudder.
"Voldemort used it all the time. Indeed, it was horrid. I can tell you from first-hand experience. Draco wasn't born yet when . . . oh, nevermind. You better get to class, Hermione, the bell's going to ring. The antidote is in the book I just gave you the permission slip. It's in normal writing - you'll be able to read it."
"Thank you. Bye!" Hermione picked up her satchel and passed Draco out the door, smiling at him. He stopped her.
"Can you give this to Harry?" he asked, pressing a letter in her hand. "Actually it's for all three of you."
"Draco . . . um, about the rumor. I didn't mean to make such a face--"
Draco laughed. "It's allright. I was making an even worse row. Imagine, you and me going out!"
"Well! Really!" Hermione said, scowling fiercely.
"But . . . but, you just said--" Draco began flustered.
"I was just joking, Draco." Hermione replied, with a teasing grin.
"Oh, honestly . . ." Draco rolled his eyes and turned back to his sister.
"Your sister's a great teacher, Draco," Hermione called, before heading off to 'A History of Magic' with Professor Binns.
"Thank you!" Karyli called back, waving after her. "Draco? You're going to be late for class, bro. What is it?"
"I just wanted to say what Granger beat me to. You were pretty good. I think you're going to be the one to make it here for more than one year."
"Hmm? Draco, what do you mean by that?" Karyli asked, confused.
"Well, no-one else has ever --" At that moment, the tardy bell rang. "Shoot. I'll tell you later. I have to go to Charms." Draco grabbed his bag, waved good bye, and broke out into a fast walk towards his next class.
Karyli frowned, puzzled. She was going to have to talk to Dumbledore about this.
"Here, Harry, this is from Draco," Hermione whispered and handed him something before going to her seat. Harry looked down at the letter in his hand and stuck it in his 'History of Magic' book. He'd read it after class.
"Today, we'll be discussing the eating habits of the High Elves of Erin and their remarkable etiquette and table manners. Diplomacy was an art to them." Students exchanged looks. Professor Binns then began lecturing them on the ways the High Elves of Erin held their silverware.
Harry sighed, took the letter out of his text book, and opened it.
Harry,
I suppose you saw that little scene over at the Slytherin table last night. I hope you liked Karyli's first class. It went really well, didn't it? I mean, none of the Slytherins or Gryffindors tried to kill one another at least.
Anyway, I'm kind of worried the other Slytherins have this idea that we're best friends all of a sudden just because you and I don't hate each other anymore. So um . . . I might not be able to smile at you so freely anymore. I'm going to have to watch it. I know you might think it cowardly of me to care about what my House thinks, but you don't really know the other Slytherins. (I bet you wonder why I never smile when I'm around Crabbe and Goyle. They're about as conversational as rocks. At least you reacted when I taunted you. I could stomp on their toes and they'd just hiccup or something.)
Well, back to the subject. I just want you to know that if I have to glare at you and pretend I don't like you, I don't mean it! I'll never forget what you did to help me. I mean, if you hadn't gotten me out of there, we never would have gone to the kitchen, I never would have seen Dobby, and I never would have gotten that letter from K. M. (you -know-who) That really meant a lot to me. Thank you, Potter.
One last time, I don't hate you. But I might have to pretend sometimes. I hope you, Weasley and Granger understand. Please tell them for me. Just in case a teacher rips this letter from you and reads it aloud, he or she won't know who this is because I'm not signing it. See you around, Harry.
P.S. Please make sure you don't leave this lying around. Somebody could suspect who it is, but they'll never know for sure.
Harry's brow furrowed in concern. Ron, next to him, nudged him in the ribs. "What's wrong?" he mouthed.
"Read this," Harry whispered back. "It's from Draco."
Ron took the letter and scanned over it. He frowned thoughtfully. "I see. Well, whether or not he means it, he's going to get a black eye or a broken nose if he makes a single crack about my family."
Disclaimer: All characters save for Vanessa Cromwell and Karyli belong to J.K. Rowling