8 – You Can Run But You Can't Hide

Heidi was waiting as the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station. She spotted Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny get out of a carriage and waved at them. They saw her and pushed through the crowd of students to join her.

'Hi Heidi.' They all said.

'Did you have a good summer?' Harry asked.

'The best! I could go around Hogsmeade with my eyes closed… and I get to go with you this year.'

They smiled. It seemed only yesterday they had met Heidi for the first time on the Hogwarts Express, and now she was a third year.

They set off along the platform to the coaches (pulled by invisible horses) that would take them to Hogwarts.

***

It was not long before they were all back into the normal Hogwarts lifestyle. Draco was no friendlier to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny than he had been, much to Ron's annoyance. He had thought that since Draco got on with Heidi, he would get on with everyone else.

Snape hadn't changed towards them either. In fact, he seemed to hate Harry even more. Harry didn't really care, he was used to Snape not liking him – it wouldn't change overnight – he had learnt that long ago.

***

Before long, the first Hogsmeade visit was announced. They were all excited – Harry could now go as Sirius Black (you've read Prisoner of Azkaban…) had signed his permission slip.

Although it was now mid-October, the weather was still amazingly nice. Ron had decided that Hogwarts must have migrated to Australia or something – England doesn't have nice weather at all, never mind October.

That Saturday morning, they all had breakfast and waited in the entrance hall until they were taken into Hogsmeade.

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were standing in a huddle in one corner of the entrance hall with Pansy Parkinson.

'Draco's been sending her owls all holiday.' Heidi whispered to Harry, loud enough so that Ron, Hermione and Ginny could hear as well.

They all laughed. 'Pansy and Draco?' Ron asked disbelievingly.

'They're suited to each other… cold hearted, evil bullies.' Hermione said viciously. Heidi looked rather hurt. 'Sorry.' Hermione said quickly.

'He may be a bully at school, but he's really nice when it's just him, me and dad.'

***

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Heidi returned earlier than most students from Hogsmeade – Heidi had spent all summer there, and the other three had been a lot last year. Ginny had stayed with Kerry, another of her Gryffindor friends from her year.

The sun was still shining, so they sat down on the grass by the lake, chatting and laughing. It was not long before they saw Draco come back up the school drive, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. Draco had spent the summer in Hogsmeade as well.

Several of the teachers who weren't in Hogsmeade were enjoying the weather as well. Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick were walking by the greenhouses; it looked as if Sprout was showing Flitwick some new plant she had grown.

Madam Hooch was sitting on a bench outside the Quidditch pitch, reading a book. Heidi hadn't told her friends about the discovery of Hooch and Snape's romance. If they wanted the students to know, they would say something. If they wanted it kept private, Heidi respected that. Suzanne Hooch had been round to Snape, Heidi and Draco's house several times over the holidays, but Heidi had never taken much notice.

'What's that?' Harry asked, bringing Heidi back from her thoughts.

'What's what?' Ron asked.

'Listen.' Harry said. Ron, Hermione and Heidi listened, and they could hear loud voices from inside the castle. They looked up to see that several windows were open. There was an argument going on in one of the rooms with an open window.

'We shouldn't listen in on private conversations.' Hermione lectured. 'It probably has nothing to do with us.'

Heidi, Harry and Ron weren't listening, however. They were trying to catch some of the argument, but it was too faint. After a while, the argument seemed to die down – they couldn't hear any more voices.

Hardly two minutes later, the main doors to the castle burst open, and out of them hurried Lucius Malfoy, pursued by Professor Snape.

'What the…' Ron said.

Looking over to where Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were lying on the lawn, Harry noticed that Draco looked equally startled. His face went even paler than usual when he realised that Lucius was heading straight from him. He jumped up from the ground, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, who looked even more stupid than usual.

'Draco, surely you don't believe all this rubbish you've been told!' Lucius half said, half shouted at Draco.

'It's taken you long enough to come after me!' Draco retorted, but his voice shook slightly.

'I was planning on talking it calmly through with Albus, Minerva and Severus, but they weren't listening.'

'They're telling the truth!' Draco said, sounding slightly braver. 'I believe them, not you! You've lied to me all my life.'

'Son!' Lucius pleaded.

'I am not your son, you are not my father.'

'YES I AM!' Lucius shouted angrily.

'No you're not, Lucius.' Snape said, stepping forward from where he had been standing.

'You told him, Severus.' Lucius said, forgetting Draco and turning on Snape. 'You told him! We decided that he would grow up looking to me as his father.'

'Situations change, Lucius.' Snape said, perfectly calmly.

'I told you not to tell him.' Lucius snapped back. 'You'll pay, Severus.' With that, Lucius grabbed his wand from his robes, pointed it at Snape and said, 'CRUCIO!'

Snape fell to the floor, writhing and screaming in agony. 'You need to suffer, Severus, before I kill you.' Lucius said, without any feeling.

Heidi had leapt to her feet, and was running towards Lucius, Draco and Snape, Ron, Harry and Hermione following her.

'Dad!' Heidi and Draco both screamed at the same time.

Lucius took no notice of Heidi – she was allowed to protect Snape. It was Draco that made him even angrier. He knew Draco was calling to Severus, not him. He turned to face Draco.

'I am your father!' Lucius shouted at Draco, his voice shaking with anger. 'You will call me 'father'. You will respect me, not him! You are a Malfoy!'

'No I'm not! I'm a Snape!' Draco shouted back.

'CRUCIO!' Lucius shouted for a second time, and Draco fell to the floor by Snape, who was still being tortured.

Heidi screamed again, tears running down her face. 'Stop it!' She cried, not that it did any good.

'Call me father, Draco.' Lucius snarled at Draco, wand pointed at him.

'NEVER!' Draco screamed between the screams of agony.

'Then you will die!' Lucius said, just as Dumbledore burst out of the castle.

'Avada Kedavra!' Lucius shouted.

'Expelliarmus.' Harry shouted at exactly the same time, finally giving in to Heidi's screams.

Lucius Malfoy's wand went flying from his hand into Harry's, and the burst of green light went flying into the forbidden forest. A few seconds later, a wail of some animal was heard from inside the forest, the curse had obviously hit it. (A/N: You've killed my best friend – Freddie!!!)

When Lucius lost possession of his wand, the Cruciatus Curse was immediately taken off Draco and Snape. They both lay on the ground. Snape had his eyes closed, breathing heavily. Draco looked unconscious.

Dumbledore, who hadn't been noticed by anyone in the action, quickly muttered, 'Petrificus Totalus!' Lucius Malfoy fell the ground, unable to move anything apart from his eyes.

By now, several other teachers had appeared. 'Minerva,' Dumbledore said, turning to McGonagall. 'Please take Mr. Malfoy to my office. He shouldn't get very far.'

McGonagall cast a spell on Lucius, so he hovered a few feet off the ground, and she directed him into the castle with her wand.

Snape had by now regained his senses. He had got up, shaking violently.

'He had no right…' He fumed, looking angrier than he had ever looked before, ever angrier than when Neville Longbottom managed to make his cauldron explode in Potions. 'That was an Unforgivable curse.'

'I agree, Severus. That was completely unacceptable behaviour.' Dumbledore had a certain tone to his voice that Harry had never heard before – he sounded as angry as Snape looked. 'I will make sure he is sent to Azkaban.'

'Excuse me…' Heidi said quietly, not sure whether she should intervene. (A/N: Yes, I do know what that means, Mr. Chipping.) 'Shouldn't Draco be taken to the hospital wing?' Heidi was right – Draco seemed to have been completely forgotten.

'Oh yes.' Dumbledore said. 'Harry, would you be so kind as to get Madam Pomfrey?'

Harry nodded and went off into the castle. He appeared a few minutes later with Poppy Pomfrey, the school's matron.

'What has been going on?' She asked strictly. It always amazed Harry how Madam Pomfrey never seemed to have any idea of what was going on.

'This boy has just been put under the Cruciatus Curse, Poppy.'

Madame Pomfrey gasped dramatically. 'I will take him straight to the hospital wing, headmaster.' She then conjured up a stretcher, and took Draco off to the hospital wing.

'Severus, I think you should go to your quarters and rest for a bit. No one should be subjected to that.'

Snape didn't object, but slowly and painfully walked away from the crowd and into the castle.

***

It was a day since the attack on Draco and Snape. Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking back from the library when Heidi, who had been staying with Draco in the hospital wing, ran up behind them.

'Harry!' She called, grabbing him by the shoulder to stop him.

'Oh, hi Heidi.' They all said in unison.

'Harry, Draco wants to see you.'

'What? What would Draco want to see Harry for?' Ron asked.

Heidi shrugged. 'He didn't say, but he kept on hassling me to find you.'

'All right, I'm coming.' Harry said. 'Meet you in the common room.' He said to Ron and Hermione, who nodded and walked off towards the Gryffindor common room. Harry followed Heidi down to the hospital wing.

As they reached the door to the hospital wing, Snape came sweeping out of the door.

'He looks annoyed.' Harry said.

'He usually does look annoyed in the presence of others apart from me and Draco.'

Harry and Heidi went into the hospital wing, and went to Draco, who was sitting up in one of the beds.

'Draco.' Harry said formally.

'Come here.' Draco said to Harry, sounding unusually kind. Harry obeyed and went and stood right next to Draco's bedside.

'Thank you.' Draco said very quietly, so quietly that Harry could only just hear her.

'What for?' Harry asked, startled that Draco thanked him.

'For saving my life. You managed to take Lucius' wand from him.'

'Well…' Harry stuttered. His worst enemy before had never thanked him before.

'Look Pott… I mean Harry. Let's call it quits, friends?' Draco held his hand out to Harry to shake.

Harry thought before taking Draco's hand in his own and shaking it. 'Friends.' He agreed.