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CLAWS
OF A RAVEN
by Tyde
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Chapter Seventeen
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It was fair to say that most of the school were pleased with the incarceration of the Potions master. Draco Malfoy looked oddly pleased and Harry wondered why. He was after all Snape's pet, shouldn't he be upset? Something didn't sit right with that. But he had no time to think about it now as Dumbledore introduced the newest member of staff.
A new temporary teacher was appointed to the job of taking Snape's lessons and the students peered curiously at Mundungus Fletcher. He looked to be an unusual fellow with wild hair of the Albert Einstein variety.
He had a look about him that said "Don't mess with me" but it also said "I seem to have misplaced my leg, have you seen it?" A little Gilderoy Lockhart sans memory and a little McGonagall at her worst.
A loud chattering filled the hall as several of the students that had been poisoned joined their house tables. Although they looked tired they said they felt well enough and Lee Jordan was perky enough to whisper conspiratorially with the Weasley twins about something or other they'd cooked up after Potions the day before. The words elephant and wrinkly punctuated their conversation, though Seamus (who was sitting next to them) could not figure out what they were up to. Several students including Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones were still in the hospital wing but Madam Pomfrey announced that it would not be long before they joined their classmates once again.
Hermione was pleased to see Professor Palgetti had returned to meals but did wonder at the look she had about her. It was the most severe look of determination that the Prefect had ever seen on a person. But she feared if someone were to tap the professor on the shoulder she would shatter into a million pieces.
Ron's voice broke through her concentration. "She's in mourning"
"Over Snape?" said Harry at the exact same time as Hermione asked "How can you tell?"
"She's wearing a black glove"
"Ron, a lot of people wear black gloves"
"Not like that one. If you look carefully you can see that it doesn't cover the whole hand, just the fingers, the thumb and it stops at the top knuckle. It's a witches' mourning glove. When someone dies or is done a great injustice their loved ones wear it to signify they are in mourning"
Hermione looked a little affronted. Clearly a lot of wizarding traditions were not available in book form and she was feeling ill informed.
"Loved ones" scoffed Hermione. "They can't stand each other"
"They're family" said Ron softly. "Blood is thicker than water" He was still looking intently at the left hand of the professor. He raised his hand as if scratching his nose and then looked down for a second with one hand cupped around the other. Harry looked at him confused and was just about to ask what he was doing when Ron spoke again.
"It's for Snape alright. It's got the Slytherin crest embroidered on this finger" he pointed to the second finger from the left on his own hand.
"Oh that's ridiculous Ron. How could you possibly see that from all the way over here"
He held up his Omnioculars that he'd made smaller with a dab of Shrinking Solution so they fit neatly into the palm of his hand and looked no bigger than a pawn chess piece. "Zoomed in on it with these. Rather handy I've discovered"
"What else have you been using them for Ron?"
Ron's face just turned red as he looked at Hermione and shoved a fork full of scrambled eggs in his mouth. "Nothing" he muttered through the mouthful.
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Professor Fletcher proved just as eccentric as he looked. When he wasn't taking off points for sniffing he was rewarding points for excellent cauldron maintenance. He had an odd smell about him – something like tobacco mixed with flobberworm manure. Not entirely pleasant but not all that inviting either. When he found out Dean's father was a builder he kept badgering him with questions about extensions on homes and brooms and how one could claim it back as a Wax (wizard tax) right-off. Half the lesson was potion ingredients and their uses while the rest was how much the Ministry of Magic took from your pay-packet and how you should never trust Ministry figures such as that old fellow that likes to name himself after confectionery.
The fifth year Potions class walked to dinner that night shaking their heads in disbelief that some of them were actually missing Snape. After dinner they all headed up to their common rooms except Neville who was trying to get Trevor to eat something. The toad had been refusing anything the past few days and he was starting to worry. Giving up he left the container of flies and insects on the table and put Trevor in his pocket and headed up to Gryffindor Tower.
As he climbed up to the fourth floor he could hear the sneering voice of Malfoy slithering around the corner. "Stupid git thought that we didn't know. Well of course Father knew. He was just waiting for him to slip up in his double act. Now he's in Azkaban – where he should have been all along. Turned out quite well don't you think? He was too busy brown nosing Father to notice he was being set up" If smirking was a sound it would have been echoing down the hall. "Traitors don't fair well in the eyes of the Dark Lord. He'll let the Dementors torture him for a while, then he'll kill him like he should have done years ago"
The positive murmurs of Crabbe and Goyle could be heard although Neville couldn't ascertain any actual words passing their lips. The Gryffindor flattened himself against the wall in hope that Malfoy would open up his big mouth again.
"Of course those soul suckers would love to get to him first. And if what Father told me last night is correct, he might just go that way"
A loud unfortunate croak came from the breast pocket of his robes and Neville held his breath hoping that they hadn't heard it. But it was too late as Trevor leapt triumphantly through the air and around the corner. Neville had no choice but to follow him. His knees shook from the look Draco was giving him with those cold grey eyes.
"What are you doing here, you fat useless lump"
"I-I-it's a h-hallway. I have a r-r-ight to be here, Malfoy" Crabbe and Goyle were scowling at him and Neville would have given 100 galleons not to be there in that situation but he just couldn't move. Malfoy stepped right up to him, invading his personal space. He leaned into the shorter boy's face. Neville could almost feel a Leg Locker curse coming on. Unfortunately Malfoy was thinking far worse than that.
"Listening in on our conversation were you? Well whatever you think you heard you didn't. Right?" he pressed the tip of his wand right in-between Neville's eyes. The Gryffindor gulped nervously but still stood up for himself.
"H-h-he'll be caught out one d-d-day, Malfoy"
"Is that so" He turned to look at Crabbe and Goyle, slotting his wand back into his pocket. "You know, I don't think Longbottom's cooperating. Why don't you two help him understand. I've got other places to be" And he swept off down the hallway, a sinister laugh floating with him.
The two chunky Slytherins then gave Neville some supper...in the form of a knuckle sandwich.
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Author's note: Sorry for the long pause. This chapter was just giving me the poops. I'm still not entirely happy with it. I'll be going back to weekly updates from now on – fingers crossed.
