Yes, this is the NEW chapter.

Chapter Ten: Two Promises

As Draco reached down through the door in the ceiling to help me into the Divination classroom, I caught a glimpse of Professor Trelawney. Wearing exotic silks, thick glasses, and an array of mystical-looking jewelry, she somewhat resembled a decorated insect.

"Welcome, welcome!" she breathed softly. "Are you the last person? Ah, yes, I see you are. Take a seat...I want everyone to be comfortable." I squinted through the hazy air to look at my surroundings. Aside from several desks, there were a few soft chairs and many overstuffed pillows. I took a seat on the floor, propping a pillow behind my back. Draco and a third-year girl named Diane Darmon sat next to me.

"You will be staying here for quite a while? Yes, all night. I have seen it," continued Professor Trelawney dramatically, when everyone had settled down. "Ahhh...I think this a marvelous opportunity for anyone in my Divination class to practice on other students. Crystal balls, tea kettles, and lead crucibles are in the closets. Go on!"

With this, some of the older students got up to find "equipment" for their favorite methods of foretelling the future. As they bustled around the room, I dimly realized that the incense smoke was affecting my sight in more than one way. White spots crowded across my vision...I tried blinking them away...Draco was speaking...someone shook me by the shoulders...my eyes were open but I couldn't see...

Suddenly, I felt a splash of cold water on my face. Spluttering and looking around, I saw that I was no longer in the Divination room. A small crowd of worried people all started talking at once.

"Are you okay?"

"We thought you were dead!"

"Flint had to carry you down the ladder."

"It was Troy's idea to use the water." I cringed, thinking that Troy may not have had my best interests in mind when he suggested that.

"Damn Trelawney! I told her to open a window, but no...'Open a window? And let all my positive energies fly out into the great unknown?' She has no idea what she's talking about! She's a menace to the school!" I realized that this last speaker was Draco. My vision was clearing up, but I still felt faintly sick.

"Uh, I'm alright. I guess," I said slowly. "As long as I don't have to go back in there."

"You don't," said Bram, who, to my intense embarrassment, had just climbed down the ladder. "We're going back to the House. Dumbledore just sent word that the troll has been taken care of. I suppose Trelawney's prediction was...shall we say...an overestimate?" I nodded weakly, trying to smile. Draco helped me off of the floor, and everyone headed back to Slytherin Dungeon.

"I knew it!" exclaimed Diane. "Yesterday in class I predicted that something fortunate would happen today!"

"What would that be?" I asked doubtfully. "Trolls aren't fortunate, passing out from incense smoke isn't fortunate, ending a feast early isn't fortunate..."

"No, but making Trelawney mad is! You should have seen the look on her face when Trikkit said, 'Oh, sorry, we have to be leaving now!' The old phony looked like she'd been sentenced to forty lashes with a wet newt. Completely outraged!" I managed a grin, imagining how an outraged insect would look.

"I will never," I spat, "ever, be in her class, I can promise that now. No way. No Divination for me."

* * *

For the next week, Draco and I fumed at the mention of the "Fantastic Four"...Potter, Weasley, Granger, and Simmons, that is. Troy, ever the bearer of ill news, had cheerfully informed everyone that: "Dude, they defeated the mountain troll!" It seemed so absurd! It was hardly possible to understand how four first-years could take on a beast that size. True, trolls are dumber than dirt, but still...!

If Draco and I were irritated, Professor Snape was positively livid. He scowled at Potter whenever he had the chance. It didn't seem to brighten his mood that he walked with a slight limp in his right leg, which the Gryffindors attributed to the troll. Somehow, they believed that the Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House, had let the troll into Hogwarts! No doubt they thought he was trying to kill Potter. Then again, they probably also thought he was in league with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Why a Death Eater would act so conspicuously hateful is beyond me, which only proved Professor Snape's innocence in my mind.

Draco and I met in a deserted library corner to discuss this. Once again, we had left Crabbe and Goyle behind. "I think," I began, "that someone is out to get Snape. The Potions classroom being in the dungeon, what better place would there be to set loose a giant, destructive beast? Okay, so it eventually wandered to the third floor...big deal. It probably got bored waiting."

Draco frowned in puzzlement. "What I want to know is: why was Quirrell running around the castle? Especially in the dungeon! You know how skittish he is...always jumping at shadows and looking around nervously." He widened his eyes and hunched forward, face twitching, wringing his hands, in a perfect imitation of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Master.

"You're right," I sighed. "He's pretty much worthless. If he ever met a Dark Art, he would die of shock."

"So why was he not at the feast?" I shook my head. This didn't make any sense. Then I had a sudden thought...

"Maybe Quirrell is trying to kill Snape! So he let in a troll, then acted like he just found it on accident--"

Draco interrupted. "Do you really think Quirrell would want to kill anyone? Would he have the guts to deal with a troll? I think not!"

I scoffed. "Nice point, but that still doesn't explain why Quirrell didn't come to the feast!"

"Maybe he's afraid of jack-o-lanterns?"

"Quite possible."

"Indeed."

"Better a bad answer than none!" I said cheerfully. "Speaking of which, how about we go finish homework? That essay on wizard laws is going to be a killer...I mean, how can we say which is more important: the anti-Cruciatus law, or the anti-Imperius? It's an impossible question!"

"I think," Draco drawled with false seriousness, "that the anti-Imperius law is more important. Why? Because I say it is. And you will say so too, once I've broken it! Ha ha ha!"

"Careful!" I returned in the same tone of voice. "Someone might think you were a follower of...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" I waved my hands dramatically in the air.

"Oh, sure! You think I'm a Death Eater?" he asked sarcastically. "It must be kind of boring, actually...the same thing over and over again. Kill people, hide your creepy snake tattoo, answer to Lord Vol--er, to You-Know-Who." His quick recovery hadn't escaped my notice. I narrowed my eyes.

"Look, you can say the name. Really, I'm not scared of it."

Draco looked everywhere but at me. "Eh, well, it's just that most people wouldn't use the title 'Lord'..."

I nearly panicked. "Do you mean to say that you are a...!?"

"It was a slip of the tongue. You see, Father was once...Voldemort's closest supporter," Draco said apprehensively. "But not anymore. He...tried to disobey Voldemort, go against his orders, claim a bit more power than he was given. So Voldemort...he..."

"Oh, great! I just had to say that, didn't I?" I thought angrily. "Now Draco has to tell me about how Voldemort murdered his father. No wonder he never said anything about it before! It's painful, shameful, I don't know what else..."

"I understand," I said, as gently as I could. "It's nothing to dwell on."

Draco let out a slow breath. "How would you know? I mean, did that ever happen in your family?"

"Not that I know of...although a few of my distant relations were victims of Voldemort's reign."

"Whatever happens, I won't end up like Father," Draco declared vehemently. "I can promise you that."

To Be Continued...

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter books or movies, so, anything that is in the books or movies is NOT mine. Credit the chapter title to Charles Dickens...in A Tale of Two Cities, Book the Second, there is a "Chapter Ten: Two Promises." Actually, it was a freaky coincidence, because my original title was "Promises," then I read A Tale, and noticed "Two Promises," so I thought, "cool!" and added "Two" to my chapter title. Then, I ended up switching around my chapters...I think I already mentioned that...and Two Promises ended up as Chapter Ten!!!!! I feel like I'm on the Twilight Zone or something. **

I DO own Andromeda Zænidh, Bram Aurvail, Viola Trikkit, Diane Darmon, Troy Hatter, and all of the original events, dialogue, etc. Chloe Simmons belongs to WildMage42, and is used under permission from the aforesaid author. Someday, WildMage42's story will be back on fanfiction.net, new and improved! Then you should read it. I'll tell y'all when it's up on the site.