After double Potions the next day, Draco stayed behind after the class. He
knew that Harry was staying with Snape.
"Severus, can I see Harry? Please?"
Snape smiled slightly and nodded.
"He's really tired and malnourished, so be gentle with him, and don't overexcite him or anything. Just. . .be friendly."
Draco nodded and smiled, his eyes slightly glazed. Snape noticed, but didn't say anything. He guessed they boy was just tired.
Opening the door, Snape swished into his private chambers, Draco following him. Harry was lying on a fairly small and uncomfortable looking bed in the corner, looking barely alive. His face was white to the point of being translucent, with dark bruises from his former friends standing out sharply. His hair looked lank and greasy, and his cheekbones stood out prominently.
Draco moved softly towards the bed, and whispered Harry's name. Harry opened one green eye, and then another, blinking.
"Oh, hi, Draco", he said with very fake enthusiasm. He didn't feel like talking to anyone really. He was so ashamed of breaking down in front of Snape.
"How're you feeling?"
"Umm, not too bad thanks. How are classes? I suppose I'm really behind with work. I should ask Herm. . ."
Harry broke off, his eyes darkening with sorrow. The loss of Hermione's friendship had hurt him badly.
Awkwardly, Draco shifted slightly.
"Well, you haven't missed that much. History of Magic is just as boring as normal. . .Sev's being horrendously unfair to everyone is potions. . .McGonagall is being a bitch and nearly crying every time she looks at your seat. . .Flitwick is. . .
Horrible bastard! He is so famous, but you've done so much more than him, Draco. You should be the one worshipped by the whole wizarding world. What does he deserve? Nothing, except what he has had. Look at the way he saps Snape. He expects everyone to fall on their knees in front of him. He should be taught a lesson!
The voice broke into his speech, inside his head, without warning. He frowned, not understanding what was happening, not understanding what was going on.
"Flitwick. . .he, uh, he was saying. . .I guess. . .I can't remember."
"Draco, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I should go to my next lesson now. See you. . ."
And with a swish of robes reminiscent of Snape, he was gone. Snape himself came back in the second Draco had left.
"How are you feeling?"
"Umm, ok. Draco left awfully quickly. I must have missed so much work. . ."
"Don't worry about that. It can't be helped. You will catch up, but the most important thing is to get well physically. I don't want you working yet."
*******************************
Eventually Snape got so fed up with Harry's incessant talking that he gave him a book of advanced spells and curses to read. It worked well, because soon Harry was engrossed in it.
****************************
Draco sat at the Slytherin table on his own, watching Hermione and Ron.
Maybe you should talk to them said the voice in his head which seemed to blend in so well with his mind. After all, an argument has to work both ways. Maybe Potter provoked them. And the Mudblood is an excellent witch. She would be a good ally to have. . .
Draco slithered over to the Gryffindor table.
"May I?"
Ron gaped at him, mouth full of swede. Draco wrinkled his nose, and sat down anyway.
"To be blunt, I want to know why you are not talking to Potter. I want to know what happened."
Hermione sighed gravely.
"Ron's brother unearthed some very scary things about him over the summer. It was all being hushed up by the Ministry. And then. . ." she stopped, her eyes round and fearful.
"Then what?"
"He. . .hexed Ron on the bus!"
At Malfoy Mansion, Lucius had to bite his lip to stop himself laughing.
Draco raised an eyebrow.
"How. . .terrifying." he murmered.
Ron, who had now finished his mouthful, glared at Draco.
"We heard that he was going to be accused of Diggory's death last summer, but they decided he was mentally unstable and not fit for trial. Apparently the Ministry didn't want a big scene about it. But there are files at the Ministry that say he killed previous people from his old muggle school. The facts are that he uses his friends for their best purpose and then dumps them.
In the summer, he didn't write to me or Hermione. Then he was really grumpy on the train. We thought we should get away from him as soon as possible and warn the other Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws."
Draco nodded thoughtfully.
"Interesting."
He got up, and swept out of the hall.
Hermione bit her lip.
"Should we have told him that, Ron?"
Ron shrugged, looking angry.
"I don't even want to think about him at the moment," he muttered, and began tucking into his potatoes.
****************************
Lucius rubbed his chin thoughtfully and threw on his mask and hood. The he apparated.
*************************
V.C.H
"Malfoy."
"My Lord. . .I have given the potion to. . .the boy. . ."
"Which boy would that be, Lucius?"
"Dr. . .Draco Malfoy, my Lord."
"Ah," said Voldemort, smiling coldly. "I presume you found information of some interest for you to be bothering me?"
"Yes, my lord. I have heard that Potter was to be put on trial for several murders. . ."
"Crucio. Did you not think that I would have done my utmost to ruin his school life? I killed the boys from his muggle school, and left enough evidence to convince the ministry. Finite Incatatem."
Malfoy got up, wincing, and glowering underneath his mask.
"When shall I order D. . .Dr. . .Draco to lure Potter out of the school?"
Voldemort considered the question for a moment.
"Tomorrow, at 1.30pm precisely."
"Yes my Lord," said Malfoy, with a sweeping bow.
"Oh, and Malfoy?"
"My Lord?"
"What is Draco's surname?"
"Mulff" mumbled the Death Eater.
"Speak up!"
"Malfoy, my Lord."
"Hmm. You are related to the scum? I am disappointed in you, Malfoy."
There was a few seconds silence while Malfoy waited to be hit with the Cruciatus, and then Voldemort snapped,
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of my sight!"
Malfoy apparated so quickly he almost splinched himself, but not quickly enough that he didn't hear Voldemort's last words.
"It will be the last task you fail. . ."
"Severus, can I see Harry? Please?"
Snape smiled slightly and nodded.
"He's really tired and malnourished, so be gentle with him, and don't overexcite him or anything. Just. . .be friendly."
Draco nodded and smiled, his eyes slightly glazed. Snape noticed, but didn't say anything. He guessed they boy was just tired.
Opening the door, Snape swished into his private chambers, Draco following him. Harry was lying on a fairly small and uncomfortable looking bed in the corner, looking barely alive. His face was white to the point of being translucent, with dark bruises from his former friends standing out sharply. His hair looked lank and greasy, and his cheekbones stood out prominently.
Draco moved softly towards the bed, and whispered Harry's name. Harry opened one green eye, and then another, blinking.
"Oh, hi, Draco", he said with very fake enthusiasm. He didn't feel like talking to anyone really. He was so ashamed of breaking down in front of Snape.
"How're you feeling?"
"Umm, not too bad thanks. How are classes? I suppose I'm really behind with work. I should ask Herm. . ."
Harry broke off, his eyes darkening with sorrow. The loss of Hermione's friendship had hurt him badly.
Awkwardly, Draco shifted slightly.
"Well, you haven't missed that much. History of Magic is just as boring as normal. . .Sev's being horrendously unfair to everyone is potions. . .McGonagall is being a bitch and nearly crying every time she looks at your seat. . .Flitwick is. . .
Horrible bastard! He is so famous, but you've done so much more than him, Draco. You should be the one worshipped by the whole wizarding world. What does he deserve? Nothing, except what he has had. Look at the way he saps Snape. He expects everyone to fall on their knees in front of him. He should be taught a lesson!
The voice broke into his speech, inside his head, without warning. He frowned, not understanding what was happening, not understanding what was going on.
"Flitwick. . .he, uh, he was saying. . .I guess. . .I can't remember."
"Draco, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I should go to my next lesson now. See you. . ."
And with a swish of robes reminiscent of Snape, he was gone. Snape himself came back in the second Draco had left.
"How are you feeling?"
"Umm, ok. Draco left awfully quickly. I must have missed so much work. . ."
"Don't worry about that. It can't be helped. You will catch up, but the most important thing is to get well physically. I don't want you working yet."
*******************************
Eventually Snape got so fed up with Harry's incessant talking that he gave him a book of advanced spells and curses to read. It worked well, because soon Harry was engrossed in it.
****************************
Draco sat at the Slytherin table on his own, watching Hermione and Ron.
Maybe you should talk to them said the voice in his head which seemed to blend in so well with his mind. After all, an argument has to work both ways. Maybe Potter provoked them. And the Mudblood is an excellent witch. She would be a good ally to have. . .
Draco slithered over to the Gryffindor table.
"May I?"
Ron gaped at him, mouth full of swede. Draco wrinkled his nose, and sat down anyway.
"To be blunt, I want to know why you are not talking to Potter. I want to know what happened."
Hermione sighed gravely.
"Ron's brother unearthed some very scary things about him over the summer. It was all being hushed up by the Ministry. And then. . ." she stopped, her eyes round and fearful.
"Then what?"
"He. . .hexed Ron on the bus!"
At Malfoy Mansion, Lucius had to bite his lip to stop himself laughing.
Draco raised an eyebrow.
"How. . .terrifying." he murmered.
Ron, who had now finished his mouthful, glared at Draco.
"We heard that he was going to be accused of Diggory's death last summer, but they decided he was mentally unstable and not fit for trial. Apparently the Ministry didn't want a big scene about it. But there are files at the Ministry that say he killed previous people from his old muggle school. The facts are that he uses his friends for their best purpose and then dumps them.
In the summer, he didn't write to me or Hermione. Then he was really grumpy on the train. We thought we should get away from him as soon as possible and warn the other Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws."
Draco nodded thoughtfully.
"Interesting."
He got up, and swept out of the hall.
Hermione bit her lip.
"Should we have told him that, Ron?"
Ron shrugged, looking angry.
"I don't even want to think about him at the moment," he muttered, and began tucking into his potatoes.
****************************
Lucius rubbed his chin thoughtfully and threw on his mask and hood. The he apparated.
*************************
V.C.H
"Malfoy."
"My Lord. . .I have given the potion to. . .the boy. . ."
"Which boy would that be, Lucius?"
"Dr. . .Draco Malfoy, my Lord."
"Ah," said Voldemort, smiling coldly. "I presume you found information of some interest for you to be bothering me?"
"Yes, my lord. I have heard that Potter was to be put on trial for several murders. . ."
"Crucio. Did you not think that I would have done my utmost to ruin his school life? I killed the boys from his muggle school, and left enough evidence to convince the ministry. Finite Incatatem."
Malfoy got up, wincing, and glowering underneath his mask.
"When shall I order D. . .Dr. . .Draco to lure Potter out of the school?"
Voldemort considered the question for a moment.
"Tomorrow, at 1.30pm precisely."
"Yes my Lord," said Malfoy, with a sweeping bow.
"Oh, and Malfoy?"
"My Lord?"
"What is Draco's surname?"
"Mulff" mumbled the Death Eater.
"Speak up!"
"Malfoy, my Lord."
"Hmm. You are related to the scum? I am disappointed in you, Malfoy."
There was a few seconds silence while Malfoy waited to be hit with the Cruciatus, and then Voldemort snapped,
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of my sight!"
Malfoy apparated so quickly he almost splinched himself, but not quickly enough that he didn't hear Voldemort's last words.
"It will be the last task you fail. . ."