9. Draco Malfoy.
As he walked back inside Harry heard an oily, smooth voice near his ear. One he knew well.
"The famous Harry Potter. I saw your success on the Quidditch field you know. Always did think you were a bit of a hot shot on a broom didn't you?"
"Hello Professor Snape." Harry replied politely. "How are you?"
"How am I?" Snape repeated, his eyes glittering dangerously. "Let me tell you. I was up for the DADA spot after having spent the last ten years dealing with that kind of thing at Azkaban, and again I was cheated out of it! And by a snippet of a girl too, who would probably faint if she met a Vampire, or a Dark Wizard who was pointing his wand at her."
Harry frowned, and drew himself up. "I think you'll find, Professor Snape, that Hermoine has proven herself on more than one occasion." And then he couldn't help but smile.
"You're referring to the time in sixth year aren't you? I could have saved myself you know Potter. I was about to, but then she had to butt in and-"
"-You just can't handle the fact that your life was saved not only by my father, but also by Hermoine!" Harry snapped, and then he felt Ron by his side.
"Hello Professor Snape. Come on Harry-the feast is about to begin, and we want to make sure we get seats far enough away from Percy the pain!" Ron said, his eyes taking in the look on Harry's face and knowing that Snape had done or said something to annoy his friend again.
Harry stared at Snape for a second longer, and then let his friend lead him away.
"What did he say?" Ron asked.
"Nothing unusual. You know Ron I don't think I have ever met such a bitter, unhappy man in all my life." Harry replied.
Ron had to laugh. "What, you think Snape needs a girlfriend?" He asked.
"Maybe!" Harry replied laughing also. "But let me tell you-Hermoine is not one of the candidates. Turns out Snape was also applying for the DADA position and he is dirty on Hermoine for getting it over him."
"Harry, you don't think Snape's got anything to do with all the strange things do you? Maybe he wants the school to think they can't do without him?" Ron suggested, but Harry shook his head.
"I doubt that." He said, and they entered the great hall, taking Harry back to the first time he had ever entered it. He'd been so scared that he would be put in Slytherin after Ron had told him that there wasn't a witch or wizard who'd gone bad who hadn't been in Slytherin!
"Hey Harry! You've got to try some of these muffins!" Neville said, his mouth full. Harry grinned and sat down.
"What did Snape want?" Hermoine asked him in a low voice, as they began the feast.
"Nothing really. Just to try and make me feel horrid as usual." Harry muttered, not wanting to tell her that he had also complained about her. Not that she would have thought much of it!
"Well, well, well..Harry Potter and his little entourage." Draco Malfoy said, standing behind the table.
"Hello Malfoy." Harry said coldly. "How have you been?"
"I've been fine. Father and I are in business together and we have almost tripled our money in the last two years alone!" Malfoy bragged, and he smirked at his companions. Crabbe and Goyle, who, Harry noted, didn't look any different from the dumb thugs they'd been back in school.
"They always said some people had more money than sense." Ron muttered under his breath, but Malfoy heard and glared at him.
"You could do with some money Weasley, and we all know that. Tell me, are you still living in that shack?" Malfoy asked, and it was Hermoine who held Ron back.
"And Longbottom!" Malfoy said. "Are you still as clumsy as ever?"
Neville looked at him, but didn't speak.
Malfoy turned to Hermoine now. "And Granger. I have to tell you that my father and I, and many of the richer wizarding families, were shocked to see Hogwarts appoint a mudblood as a teacher."
"Get out of here you little git before I make you into something even uglier than you already are!" Fred snarled.
Malfoy smirked. "I wouldn't threaten me. You're going to see soon enough."
And he turned and sauntered off with Crabb and Goyle behind him.
Fred and George went back to the feast, but not Harry, Ron and Hermoine who were all staring at each other in horror.
"D'ya hear that?" Ron whispered.
"I wonder what he is talking about. Something is going to happen!" Harry said.
"We've got to keep an eye on him during the reunion." Hermoine replied.
"What are you three whispering about?" Neville asked.
"Nothing Neville, don't worry." Harry assured him. But his eyes were riveted across the room on the table where the Slytherin's were all seated, and in particular, on Malfoy.
As he walked back inside Harry heard an oily, smooth voice near his ear. One he knew well.
"The famous Harry Potter. I saw your success on the Quidditch field you know. Always did think you were a bit of a hot shot on a broom didn't you?"
"Hello Professor Snape." Harry replied politely. "How are you?"
"How am I?" Snape repeated, his eyes glittering dangerously. "Let me tell you. I was up for the DADA spot after having spent the last ten years dealing with that kind of thing at Azkaban, and again I was cheated out of it! And by a snippet of a girl too, who would probably faint if she met a Vampire, or a Dark Wizard who was pointing his wand at her."
Harry frowned, and drew himself up. "I think you'll find, Professor Snape, that Hermoine has proven herself on more than one occasion." And then he couldn't help but smile.
"You're referring to the time in sixth year aren't you? I could have saved myself you know Potter. I was about to, but then she had to butt in and-"
"-You just can't handle the fact that your life was saved not only by my father, but also by Hermoine!" Harry snapped, and then he felt Ron by his side.
"Hello Professor Snape. Come on Harry-the feast is about to begin, and we want to make sure we get seats far enough away from Percy the pain!" Ron said, his eyes taking in the look on Harry's face and knowing that Snape had done or said something to annoy his friend again.
Harry stared at Snape for a second longer, and then let his friend lead him away.
"What did he say?" Ron asked.
"Nothing unusual. You know Ron I don't think I have ever met such a bitter, unhappy man in all my life." Harry replied.
Ron had to laugh. "What, you think Snape needs a girlfriend?" He asked.
"Maybe!" Harry replied laughing also. "But let me tell you-Hermoine is not one of the candidates. Turns out Snape was also applying for the DADA position and he is dirty on Hermoine for getting it over him."
"Harry, you don't think Snape's got anything to do with all the strange things do you? Maybe he wants the school to think they can't do without him?" Ron suggested, but Harry shook his head.
"I doubt that." He said, and they entered the great hall, taking Harry back to the first time he had ever entered it. He'd been so scared that he would be put in Slytherin after Ron had told him that there wasn't a witch or wizard who'd gone bad who hadn't been in Slytherin!
"Hey Harry! You've got to try some of these muffins!" Neville said, his mouth full. Harry grinned and sat down.
"What did Snape want?" Hermoine asked him in a low voice, as they began the feast.
"Nothing really. Just to try and make me feel horrid as usual." Harry muttered, not wanting to tell her that he had also complained about her. Not that she would have thought much of it!
"Well, well, well..Harry Potter and his little entourage." Draco Malfoy said, standing behind the table.
"Hello Malfoy." Harry said coldly. "How have you been?"
"I've been fine. Father and I are in business together and we have almost tripled our money in the last two years alone!" Malfoy bragged, and he smirked at his companions. Crabbe and Goyle, who, Harry noted, didn't look any different from the dumb thugs they'd been back in school.
"They always said some people had more money than sense." Ron muttered under his breath, but Malfoy heard and glared at him.
"You could do with some money Weasley, and we all know that. Tell me, are you still living in that shack?" Malfoy asked, and it was Hermoine who held Ron back.
"And Longbottom!" Malfoy said. "Are you still as clumsy as ever?"
Neville looked at him, but didn't speak.
Malfoy turned to Hermoine now. "And Granger. I have to tell you that my father and I, and many of the richer wizarding families, were shocked to see Hogwarts appoint a mudblood as a teacher."
"Get out of here you little git before I make you into something even uglier than you already are!" Fred snarled.
Malfoy smirked. "I wouldn't threaten me. You're going to see soon enough."
And he turned and sauntered off with Crabb and Goyle behind him.
Fred and George went back to the feast, but not Harry, Ron and Hermoine who were all staring at each other in horror.
"D'ya hear that?" Ron whispered.
"I wonder what he is talking about. Something is going to happen!" Harry said.
"We've got to keep an eye on him during the reunion." Hermoine replied.
"What are you three whispering about?" Neville asked.
"Nothing Neville, don't worry." Harry assured him. But his eyes were riveted across the room on the table where the Slytherin's were all seated, and in particular, on Malfoy.
