Storyline (c) 2003 inTOtheSKY, all Chimeral characters are my own and should not be copied without permission. All other characters belong to JK Rowling ;D Feel free to e-mail me at spirit@eluding.org
Ch4
"Draco, what's wrong?" Pansy asked from across the table. "You look awfully stressed."
"I dunno…" Draco growled, looking about.
"Well then…stop twitching and hold the thing still!" Pansy stamped her foot impatiently.
"Hey, its not that easy, all right? I'd like to see you touch the filthy thing!" Draco snapped. "I can't help it if I feel funny!"
"Why in the world would you feel funny, Draco?" Pansy asked incredulously. "It's not like you to get upset…and you don't look sick…" She slapped her hand over his forehead. "No, you haven't got a fever…"
"Of course I haven't got a fever!" Draco retorted, pulling away. "You wouldn't understand anyway…" He muttered angrily, digging his fingers into the Clabbert's flesh. The half monkey, half frog-like creature protested loudly, pinched Draco hard across the palm, and jumped off the table, screeching. Cursing, Draco ran after the Clabber while grasping his injured hand, the rest of the class laughing at him. When he thought he was within reach of the Clabber's back leg, he pounced, only to land face flat in the muddy grass.
"He deserves it, the nasty little git." Ron remarked loudly as Draco struggled to get to his feet. "And to think that it was a Clabber that got the best of Draco Malfoy."
Draco looked to Ron's direction, where the red-haired boy stood with a so-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it expression upon his face. Furious, Draco tried to force himself up off the grass, only to slip and fall once more. The class roared in laughter, and the gray-eyed boy looked about for some source of support. Not even Pansy budged from where she stood, to Draco's dismay.
"So much for your robes, Draco." Paige spoke from next to Neville. "Tsk, they're so very dirty…wonder how you'll be getting the stains out…and I don't suppose you had any luck with removing the ink stains I happened to get on you a few days ago, did you?" When Draco couldn't find the words to speak, Paige smiled coolly. "I didn't think so."
"Well I'm happy to see you've recovered so quickly…" Draco snarled. His pride was crushed, and he felt humiliated lying in the mud and unable to stand without making a fool of himself.
"Oh please…" Lillian sniffed when everyone continued to laugh at their fallen classmate. Picking her way daintily through the slippery grass, she offered her hand to Draco, who took it hesitantly. Flashing a beautiful smile at the sixth-year Slytherin, she crooned, "Now…I don't suppose you could offer some sort of reimbursement for what I just did for you?"
Draco stared at her for a moment, then back at Harry, who was clutching his sides, laughing his head off.
"No. I couldn't." He snapped, pulling his hand away and stomping back to his spot beside Pansy. When she tried to offer consolation, he pushed her away and sketched up the best drawing of a Clabber he could out of the top of his head. He then turned his smudged paper in to Hagrid, who eyed it a bit disdainfully before putting it away.
Draco knew he'd failed to do well in class that day, but he didn't care much for Care of Magical Creatures in the first place. What upset him so much was the laughter of his peers when he'd fallen. His bloated ego had been punctured, and it hurt. As he stomped away, he could hear Pansy beside him, uttering apologies and comforting words that sounded so far away. Turning a corner, he entered the restroom, where he winced at his reflection. Cupping water into his hands, he did his best to clean off the grime upon his face. His robes were ruined, and the damp cloth felt disgusting against his skin.
"Did you see Malfoy's face when fell in the mud?" A voice that Draco recognized as Dean Thomas's laughed from inside one of the bathroom stalls. "I only wish I had a camera with me…that kind of thing only happens once in a lifetime!"
"Naw, he's been deserving a good lesson on manners for a long time." Another voice replied from the neighboring stall. "I wouldn't be surprised if he fell down the whole flight of stairs outside and everyone was there to watch."
"You're probably right." Dean chuckled. "And I'll have my camera ready then…"
Draco could feel himself trembling over with anger. Where were his fellow Slytherins when he needed them?
"Hey! You!" He banged upon the door of the first stall. "That's right! I'm sure you recognize my voice, you disgusting nobody! If you know what's good for you, you'll shut-up…and that goes for your little friend as well!"
"Why don't you make us?" The second voice asked, obviously not concerned that Draco had overheard the conversation. "Or are you scared…because your little groupies aren't with you?"
"Y-you shut-up!" Draco stormed over to the next stall and kicked the door in. The student inside stood there coolly, obviously unfazed.
"Well? I don't suppose you're going to challenge me to a Wizard's Duel, are you?" He asked. "Because I could take you any day."
"And who do you think you are?" Draco asked angrily. "No one talks back to me like that!"
"Oh, who I am is none of your concern." The boy stepped forward angrily. "But what you did to my sister is a definite concern of mine."
"What…what are you talking about?" Draco snapped. "I don't remember-"
"Of course you wouldn't remember. You pick on so many people that you can't remember their faces anymore." The boy pulled out his wand. "But here's a little clue: '…perhaps I should practice that new curse we learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts today…you're in my class, you tell me what it is.'"
Draco's eyes widened as the memory of his own words returned to him. "That girl has a brother?" He stood for a second in what appeared to be disbelief, then recovered quickly, his usual smirk appearing back upon his face. "So what if you're her brother? That doesn't mean anything to me."
Henry took another step forward. "Well I'm out to make it mean something."
- -
"Dear Hermione," Ron read his words out loud as he wrote, "I hope you are receiving this letter in good spirits…how does that sound, Harry?"
"You don't have to make it so formal, Ron…" Harry grumbled, shaking his head. Picking up his quill, he picked up where Ron had stopped writing. "Sorry we haven't written in such a long time…but we've all been awfully busy here."
"Snape's out to get all of us and had us go through five different exams in the three months you were gone. And they weren't ordinary exams either…more like the hardest tests in the world…" Ron scratched out with his quill. "But I'd bet you'd get through it all fine; you're so smart and hard-working…"
"Anyway, the big match against Ravenclaw is in a few days; Ron and I've been going to weekly Quidditch practices ever since you left!" Harry wrote. "Angelina's been very harsh to everyone on the team; if Gryffindor wins, then we'll get to have a go against Slytherin…"
"And you know what that means." Ron scribbled. "A chance to beat up Malfoy after all that "Weasley is King" nonsense from last year…I'll show him!"
"Speaking of Malfoy, guess what? One of the Chimeral students, Henry, attacked him in the bathroom and put some sort of hex on him…Ron and I were sitting in the common room when we heard the news…Neville ran in and announced, 'I just found Malfoy in the bathroom by the library…and it looks like he's fainted.'" Harry scrawled.
"And it doesn't end there, either." Ron wrote. "The spell Henry used also caused Malfoy to see things…bad things…"
"We last heard that Malfoy jumped clear out of his bed in the medical ward and ran off, claiming something was after him." Harry laughed as he wrote. "Of course, after some talk with Henry, we learned that the spell would wear off soon…"
"Which disgusts me." Ron wrote. "If I were Henry, I'd make sure that spell were made permanent."
"Anyway, you last wrote to us about the Snidgets…" Harry continued writing. "Dumbledore hasn't mentioned anything about getting one, and he hasn't exactly been walking around with it on his shoulder either. Maybe he hasn't gotten his yet…sorry we can't say more about it."
"I hope you're doing well at Chimeral, Hermione." Ron sighed as he wrote. "I miss you ever so much…and sorry if I didn't really express it when you left."
"It's sometimes weird to walk through the Hogwarts without you around." Harry wrote. "But you're always in our thoughts. Take care."
After signing both their names at the bottom, Ron and Harry placed the letter in an envelope and headed off to the Owlery. It was late evening, and most students had cleared the hallways. As the two friends made their way up to the tower where the owls roosted, someone's harsh whispering around the corner caught Harry's attention.
"…very upset and needs to know everything about those Snidgets now!" The person hissed. "Now hurry up and answer me…there could be someone listening!"
"Look, you know I can't tell you very much." A second person replied. "I only put the Snidget anonymously into the Headmaster's office…and you know how he's a sucker for presents, no matter who gives it to him. After the Imperius Curse finally got to him, the Snidgets were sent out…and the rest you know!"
"But there may be a flaw in the plan, all right?" The first person snapped. "Apparently, some of the birds really do have the song of immortality…and we just sent them to some of the most powerful wizards in the world!"
"Oh jeez…" The second person sounded worried. "The Dark Lord is going to have our necks…"
The Dark Lord! Harry immediately grabbed Ron by the sleeve and both of them ran in the opposite direction, not stopping until they had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, who yawned and swung open when they gave her the password.
"Merlin's beard…" Ron gasped out. "T-the Dark Lord…"
"Hermione was right to be suspicious about the Snidgets, then." Harry looked up from where he had collapsed on the floor.
"Who were those two people?" Ron asked. "They sounded awfully familiar…"
"Right." Harry agreed.
"D'you think they heard us?" Ron said in a worried tone of voice. "I don't want to wake up one morning and see some creepy Death Eater standing over me…"
"I don't know." Harry replied truthfully. "But I don't think they'd want to raise any suspicion among anyone at Hogwarts. Obviously one of the people we heard talking is staying at Hogwarts, and if one of us were just zapped into nothing then Voldemort's plan would be ruined...the Ministry of Magic would have people combing through the entire school."
"How'd you get all that from just listening to their conversation for about five seconds?" Ron muttered, heading upstairs to bed. "You're starting to turn into Hermione, and that's weird."
- -
The next morning, Harry and Ron decided to talk to Dumbledore about their close encounter from yesterday night. Reaching the statue of the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office, Harry and Ron named every sweet they could think of until the statue leapt aside to let them through. Upon reaching the door of Dumbledore's office however, the friends were dismayed to see a note posted upon the door:
I have left for a little visit to Chimeral to visit the Headmaster. Please forward all messages, etc. to Professor McGonagall. I shall return at the end of the month.
"Shoot! Why'd he have to pick now, out of all good times, to go off on a trip?" Ron threw his hands up in annoyance.
"Well…I suppose the best thing to do now is to talk to McGonagall." Harry exhaled, running his hands through his hair.
"You're right…" Ron sighed. "And we better rewrite that letter we were going to send to Hermione, too."
As they walked to class, the friends rewrote their letter, adding in the events of yesterday evening. Of course, they wrote it in code, referring to the possible Death Eaters in names such as "Mr. One" and "Mr. Two". They made a quick trip to the Owlery, and after making sure Hedwig had flown off safely with the letter, the two friends walked to Transfiguration, keeping their eyes open for danger.
Class passed by too slowly. After a strangely boring lesson, Ron and Harry approached their instructor, both feeling anxious.
"Professor…" Harry began, "Ron and I have got something very important to tell you."
Ron nodded. "Right. We were going to tell Dumbledore, but he's on an outing…"
Their professor looked up at her pupils. "What is it?" She asked, removing her half-moon spectacles.
"Well…its just that…yesterday night, when Ron and I were going up to the Owlery to have a letter delivered…we happened to overhear a conversation. It's about those Snidgets that the Headmaster of Chimeral's been sending out."
"I don't see a problem. Snidgets are harmless." McGonagall replied.
"Right, except that you-know-who is behind the distribution!" Ron cried out, unable to contain himself. "We heard with our own ears: 'The Dark Lord is going to have our necks'!"
Their instructor froze for a moment where she sat, unsure of what to say. "W-well then…are you boys sure that you heard this?"
"Yes!" Ron and Harry exclaimed at the same time.
"Someone working for Voldemort is here, in Hogwarts!" Harry said. "Professor, you've got to tell Dumbledore…you've got to do something!"
McGonagall pursed her lips, tightening them. "All right. I'll take care of these matters. Thank you for coming forward, the both of you." She walked them to the doorway. "Now, I don't want neither of you two to mention anything about what you heard to anyone. The last thing Hogwarts needs to experience is absolute pandemonium."
In the hallway, Ron and Harry separated to attend their different classes. They didn't meet again until Herbology, but all Professor Sprout had to show to the class was the Mandrake, a plant that the class had, to the professor's dismay, had observed before.
Harry was about to fall over from the dullness of the day as he trudged to Care of Magical Creatures class when Ron, having reached class first, grabbed him urgently by the arm, jolting him awake.
"You won't believe this, Harry…but Hagrid's got a Snidget for class today!"
- -
"What?" Harry exclaimed. He fell into a run, Ron following close behind. When they reached class, Henry immediately greeted them.
"Hagrid's got himself a Snidget to show us today…isn't your friend Hermione interested in Snidgets?"
"Yeah…" Harry replied, distracted by a shimmering object fluttering between Hagrid's hands. Already a large group of students had clustered about their teacher, trying to get a better look.
When class began, everyone kept their eyes focused upon the Snidget, which was twittering about joyfully upon Hagrid's shoulder.
"This, class, is a Snidget." Hagrid said. "Borrowed it from Dumbledore. It's very rare and was once used in Quidditch as the Snitch…nearly hunted to extinction, it was." Hagrid stroked the bird's back softly. "This particular Snidget's special…it's got the power of granting whoever has it immortality with its song."
While the class oohed and aahed, Hagrid said, "Since I've only got one, it'd be best if yeh all lined up…give yeh a chance to pet it…"
"Well I guess we can write to Hermione and tell her that Dumbledore's Snidget is here." Ron grumbled as he stood to get in line.
"The best way to get a Snidget to sing is teh pet it real softly across the chest…easy does it…" Hagrid bent over to allow Lavender to pet the Snidget.
"Ooh, its so cute!" She giggled as she touched the soft feathers.
When it was Harry's turn to pet the Snidget, he reached out to stroke its belly when he was interrupted by a cold, drawling voice. Hagrid looked in the direction of the voice and immediately clenched his fingers together into fists.
"It's Malfoy's father." Ron hissed in an undertone.
"Hello…Professor." The tall, longhaired man spoke from where he stood, his fingers grasping the head of his walking stick. "Just thought I'd stop by…see how the lessons were coming along." He glanced coldly in Harry's direction before looking back to Hagrid. "Apparently, there was a bit of trouble a while ago…my son suffered great humiliation in this class, and I'm wondering why."
While Hagrid was finding words polite enough to say, Harry stood forward. Already, the pieces were falling together. "That incident happened over a month ago. Why are you bringing it up now?" He narrowed his eyes. "And it's surprising that Malfoy would call upon his father for help. I really thought he knew better than that."
"Now, Potter…If I were you, I wouldn't talk back to my elders like that." Draco's father lowered his voice to a deadly whisper as he neared Harry. "And I'd never, ever, question a Malfoy's judgment…"
"Where is Malfoy anyway?" Harry continued to speak loudly. "Y'know, I thought that he'd have recovered by now…but then again, maybe he's much too embarrassed to come back to class…hey Ron, d'you reckon that the poor git's fainted in the bathroom again? Mr. Malfoy, better go check!"
"Enough!" Draco's father roared. Pulling out his wand, he muttered a spell from between his lips. Ducking, Harry rolled to the grass, only to see the spell make contact with a surprised Hagrid, who had been trying to distract himself with the Snidget.
"Hagrid!" Ron cried out, smoke from the spell billowing about everywhere. "Are you all right? Where are you?"
Harry groped about through the gray mist, hoping to grab a hold upon the professor's limb. "Hagrid!"
All around him, he could hear his classmates crying out in alarm, and winced, his hand run over by a confused student. Pulling out his wand, Harry uttered, "Lumos!" A beam of light emerged from the wand tip, enabling Harry to see better. Nearby, he could see that Ron had done the same.
"Hagrid!" Both of them cried out. They were about to step forward when the large, burly figure of their professor emerged from within the smoke. Harry had never felt so relieved to see that his teacher was all right.
"Hagrid! You're all right!" Harry grabbed onto the half-giant's arm and gave it a squeeze.
"Yeah…yeah I am." Hagrid grumbled, looking a bit confused. "What just happened?"
"Malfoy's dad hit you with a spell." Ron said, brushing himself off. "I guess the Snidget helped you live through it."
"Oh…righ…" Hagrid mumbled, the Snidget upon his shoulder twittering away happily.
Harry could see the smoke clearing, and before them stood Lucius Malfoy, his wand held out, but his face in a state of shock.
"I-it…" He stuttered, eyes wide. "T-the Snidget…its true…"
"You were the one in the hallway yesterday." Harry said, and Lucius stared at Harry, his mouth open.
"Harry! Shut-up! You're not supposed to let him know that!" Ron pulled at his friend's sleeve.
"So who was that other fellow with you, then?" Harry continued, ignoring Ron's pleas. "He's the one whose at Hogwarts, isn't he? The one who makes sure that nothing goes wrong when Dumbledore finally gets his Snidget…but that didn't work out, did it? It just happened that Dumbledore left on an outing…"
"Harry!" Ron tugged harder. "Stop!"
Draco's father lowered his wand slowly. "…I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't." Harry retorted. "Stop feigning it; you just don't want your little plan ruined, or else Voldemort'll get you! Well guess what? It's already been ruined, because you went ahead and attacked Hagrid in class, and he was with the Snidget! That proves that the birds you sent out, which weren't supposed to be able to sing the song of immortality, can sing the song! It wasn't supposed to be that way, now was it?"
Ch4
"Draco, what's wrong?" Pansy asked from across the table. "You look awfully stressed."
"I dunno…" Draco growled, looking about.
"Well then…stop twitching and hold the thing still!" Pansy stamped her foot impatiently.
"Hey, its not that easy, all right? I'd like to see you touch the filthy thing!" Draco snapped. "I can't help it if I feel funny!"
"Why in the world would you feel funny, Draco?" Pansy asked incredulously. "It's not like you to get upset…and you don't look sick…" She slapped her hand over his forehead. "No, you haven't got a fever…"
"Of course I haven't got a fever!" Draco retorted, pulling away. "You wouldn't understand anyway…" He muttered angrily, digging his fingers into the Clabbert's flesh. The half monkey, half frog-like creature protested loudly, pinched Draco hard across the palm, and jumped off the table, screeching. Cursing, Draco ran after the Clabber while grasping his injured hand, the rest of the class laughing at him. When he thought he was within reach of the Clabber's back leg, he pounced, only to land face flat in the muddy grass.
"He deserves it, the nasty little git." Ron remarked loudly as Draco struggled to get to his feet. "And to think that it was a Clabber that got the best of Draco Malfoy."
Draco looked to Ron's direction, where the red-haired boy stood with a so-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it expression upon his face. Furious, Draco tried to force himself up off the grass, only to slip and fall once more. The class roared in laughter, and the gray-eyed boy looked about for some source of support. Not even Pansy budged from where she stood, to Draco's dismay.
"So much for your robes, Draco." Paige spoke from next to Neville. "Tsk, they're so very dirty…wonder how you'll be getting the stains out…and I don't suppose you had any luck with removing the ink stains I happened to get on you a few days ago, did you?" When Draco couldn't find the words to speak, Paige smiled coolly. "I didn't think so."
"Well I'm happy to see you've recovered so quickly…" Draco snarled. His pride was crushed, and he felt humiliated lying in the mud and unable to stand without making a fool of himself.
"Oh please…" Lillian sniffed when everyone continued to laugh at their fallen classmate. Picking her way daintily through the slippery grass, she offered her hand to Draco, who took it hesitantly. Flashing a beautiful smile at the sixth-year Slytherin, she crooned, "Now…I don't suppose you could offer some sort of reimbursement for what I just did for you?"
Draco stared at her for a moment, then back at Harry, who was clutching his sides, laughing his head off.
"No. I couldn't." He snapped, pulling his hand away and stomping back to his spot beside Pansy. When she tried to offer consolation, he pushed her away and sketched up the best drawing of a Clabber he could out of the top of his head. He then turned his smudged paper in to Hagrid, who eyed it a bit disdainfully before putting it away.
Draco knew he'd failed to do well in class that day, but he didn't care much for Care of Magical Creatures in the first place. What upset him so much was the laughter of his peers when he'd fallen. His bloated ego had been punctured, and it hurt. As he stomped away, he could hear Pansy beside him, uttering apologies and comforting words that sounded so far away. Turning a corner, he entered the restroom, where he winced at his reflection. Cupping water into his hands, he did his best to clean off the grime upon his face. His robes were ruined, and the damp cloth felt disgusting against his skin.
"Did you see Malfoy's face when fell in the mud?" A voice that Draco recognized as Dean Thomas's laughed from inside one of the bathroom stalls. "I only wish I had a camera with me…that kind of thing only happens once in a lifetime!"
"Naw, he's been deserving a good lesson on manners for a long time." Another voice replied from the neighboring stall. "I wouldn't be surprised if he fell down the whole flight of stairs outside and everyone was there to watch."
"You're probably right." Dean chuckled. "And I'll have my camera ready then…"
Draco could feel himself trembling over with anger. Where were his fellow Slytherins when he needed them?
"Hey! You!" He banged upon the door of the first stall. "That's right! I'm sure you recognize my voice, you disgusting nobody! If you know what's good for you, you'll shut-up…and that goes for your little friend as well!"
"Why don't you make us?" The second voice asked, obviously not concerned that Draco had overheard the conversation. "Or are you scared…because your little groupies aren't with you?"
"Y-you shut-up!" Draco stormed over to the next stall and kicked the door in. The student inside stood there coolly, obviously unfazed.
"Well? I don't suppose you're going to challenge me to a Wizard's Duel, are you?" He asked. "Because I could take you any day."
"And who do you think you are?" Draco asked angrily. "No one talks back to me like that!"
"Oh, who I am is none of your concern." The boy stepped forward angrily. "But what you did to my sister is a definite concern of mine."
"What…what are you talking about?" Draco snapped. "I don't remember-"
"Of course you wouldn't remember. You pick on so many people that you can't remember their faces anymore." The boy pulled out his wand. "But here's a little clue: '…perhaps I should practice that new curse we learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts today…you're in my class, you tell me what it is.'"
Draco's eyes widened as the memory of his own words returned to him. "That girl has a brother?" He stood for a second in what appeared to be disbelief, then recovered quickly, his usual smirk appearing back upon his face. "So what if you're her brother? That doesn't mean anything to me."
Henry took another step forward. "Well I'm out to make it mean something."
- -
"Dear Hermione," Ron read his words out loud as he wrote, "I hope you are receiving this letter in good spirits…how does that sound, Harry?"
"You don't have to make it so formal, Ron…" Harry grumbled, shaking his head. Picking up his quill, he picked up where Ron had stopped writing. "Sorry we haven't written in such a long time…but we've all been awfully busy here."
"Snape's out to get all of us and had us go through five different exams in the three months you were gone. And they weren't ordinary exams either…more like the hardest tests in the world…" Ron scratched out with his quill. "But I'd bet you'd get through it all fine; you're so smart and hard-working…"
"Anyway, the big match against Ravenclaw is in a few days; Ron and I've been going to weekly Quidditch practices ever since you left!" Harry wrote. "Angelina's been very harsh to everyone on the team; if Gryffindor wins, then we'll get to have a go against Slytherin…"
"And you know what that means." Ron scribbled. "A chance to beat up Malfoy after all that "Weasley is King" nonsense from last year…I'll show him!"
"Speaking of Malfoy, guess what? One of the Chimeral students, Henry, attacked him in the bathroom and put some sort of hex on him…Ron and I were sitting in the common room when we heard the news…Neville ran in and announced, 'I just found Malfoy in the bathroom by the library…and it looks like he's fainted.'" Harry scrawled.
"And it doesn't end there, either." Ron wrote. "The spell Henry used also caused Malfoy to see things…bad things…"
"We last heard that Malfoy jumped clear out of his bed in the medical ward and ran off, claiming something was after him." Harry laughed as he wrote. "Of course, after some talk with Henry, we learned that the spell would wear off soon…"
"Which disgusts me." Ron wrote. "If I were Henry, I'd make sure that spell were made permanent."
"Anyway, you last wrote to us about the Snidgets…" Harry continued writing. "Dumbledore hasn't mentioned anything about getting one, and he hasn't exactly been walking around with it on his shoulder either. Maybe he hasn't gotten his yet…sorry we can't say more about it."
"I hope you're doing well at Chimeral, Hermione." Ron sighed as he wrote. "I miss you ever so much…and sorry if I didn't really express it when you left."
"It's sometimes weird to walk through the Hogwarts without you around." Harry wrote. "But you're always in our thoughts. Take care."
After signing both their names at the bottom, Ron and Harry placed the letter in an envelope and headed off to the Owlery. It was late evening, and most students had cleared the hallways. As the two friends made their way up to the tower where the owls roosted, someone's harsh whispering around the corner caught Harry's attention.
"…very upset and needs to know everything about those Snidgets now!" The person hissed. "Now hurry up and answer me…there could be someone listening!"
"Look, you know I can't tell you very much." A second person replied. "I only put the Snidget anonymously into the Headmaster's office…and you know how he's a sucker for presents, no matter who gives it to him. After the Imperius Curse finally got to him, the Snidgets were sent out…and the rest you know!"
"But there may be a flaw in the plan, all right?" The first person snapped. "Apparently, some of the birds really do have the song of immortality…and we just sent them to some of the most powerful wizards in the world!"
"Oh jeez…" The second person sounded worried. "The Dark Lord is going to have our necks…"
The Dark Lord! Harry immediately grabbed Ron by the sleeve and both of them ran in the opposite direction, not stopping until they had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, who yawned and swung open when they gave her the password.
"Merlin's beard…" Ron gasped out. "T-the Dark Lord…"
"Hermione was right to be suspicious about the Snidgets, then." Harry looked up from where he had collapsed on the floor.
"Who were those two people?" Ron asked. "They sounded awfully familiar…"
"Right." Harry agreed.
"D'you think they heard us?" Ron said in a worried tone of voice. "I don't want to wake up one morning and see some creepy Death Eater standing over me…"
"I don't know." Harry replied truthfully. "But I don't think they'd want to raise any suspicion among anyone at Hogwarts. Obviously one of the people we heard talking is staying at Hogwarts, and if one of us were just zapped into nothing then Voldemort's plan would be ruined...the Ministry of Magic would have people combing through the entire school."
"How'd you get all that from just listening to their conversation for about five seconds?" Ron muttered, heading upstairs to bed. "You're starting to turn into Hermione, and that's weird."
- -
The next morning, Harry and Ron decided to talk to Dumbledore about their close encounter from yesterday night. Reaching the statue of the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office, Harry and Ron named every sweet they could think of until the statue leapt aside to let them through. Upon reaching the door of Dumbledore's office however, the friends were dismayed to see a note posted upon the door:
I have left for a little visit to Chimeral to visit the Headmaster. Please forward all messages, etc. to Professor McGonagall. I shall return at the end of the month.
"Shoot! Why'd he have to pick now, out of all good times, to go off on a trip?" Ron threw his hands up in annoyance.
"Well…I suppose the best thing to do now is to talk to McGonagall." Harry exhaled, running his hands through his hair.
"You're right…" Ron sighed. "And we better rewrite that letter we were going to send to Hermione, too."
As they walked to class, the friends rewrote their letter, adding in the events of yesterday evening. Of course, they wrote it in code, referring to the possible Death Eaters in names such as "Mr. One" and "Mr. Two". They made a quick trip to the Owlery, and after making sure Hedwig had flown off safely with the letter, the two friends walked to Transfiguration, keeping their eyes open for danger.
Class passed by too slowly. After a strangely boring lesson, Ron and Harry approached their instructor, both feeling anxious.
"Professor…" Harry began, "Ron and I have got something very important to tell you."
Ron nodded. "Right. We were going to tell Dumbledore, but he's on an outing…"
Their professor looked up at her pupils. "What is it?" She asked, removing her half-moon spectacles.
"Well…its just that…yesterday night, when Ron and I were going up to the Owlery to have a letter delivered…we happened to overhear a conversation. It's about those Snidgets that the Headmaster of Chimeral's been sending out."
"I don't see a problem. Snidgets are harmless." McGonagall replied.
"Right, except that you-know-who is behind the distribution!" Ron cried out, unable to contain himself. "We heard with our own ears: 'The Dark Lord is going to have our necks'!"
Their instructor froze for a moment where she sat, unsure of what to say. "W-well then…are you boys sure that you heard this?"
"Yes!" Ron and Harry exclaimed at the same time.
"Someone working for Voldemort is here, in Hogwarts!" Harry said. "Professor, you've got to tell Dumbledore…you've got to do something!"
McGonagall pursed her lips, tightening them. "All right. I'll take care of these matters. Thank you for coming forward, the both of you." She walked them to the doorway. "Now, I don't want neither of you two to mention anything about what you heard to anyone. The last thing Hogwarts needs to experience is absolute pandemonium."
In the hallway, Ron and Harry separated to attend their different classes. They didn't meet again until Herbology, but all Professor Sprout had to show to the class was the Mandrake, a plant that the class had, to the professor's dismay, had observed before.
Harry was about to fall over from the dullness of the day as he trudged to Care of Magical Creatures class when Ron, having reached class first, grabbed him urgently by the arm, jolting him awake.
"You won't believe this, Harry…but Hagrid's got a Snidget for class today!"
- -
"What?" Harry exclaimed. He fell into a run, Ron following close behind. When they reached class, Henry immediately greeted them.
"Hagrid's got himself a Snidget to show us today…isn't your friend Hermione interested in Snidgets?"
"Yeah…" Harry replied, distracted by a shimmering object fluttering between Hagrid's hands. Already a large group of students had clustered about their teacher, trying to get a better look.
When class began, everyone kept their eyes focused upon the Snidget, which was twittering about joyfully upon Hagrid's shoulder.
"This, class, is a Snidget." Hagrid said. "Borrowed it from Dumbledore. It's very rare and was once used in Quidditch as the Snitch…nearly hunted to extinction, it was." Hagrid stroked the bird's back softly. "This particular Snidget's special…it's got the power of granting whoever has it immortality with its song."
While the class oohed and aahed, Hagrid said, "Since I've only got one, it'd be best if yeh all lined up…give yeh a chance to pet it…"
"Well I guess we can write to Hermione and tell her that Dumbledore's Snidget is here." Ron grumbled as he stood to get in line.
"The best way to get a Snidget to sing is teh pet it real softly across the chest…easy does it…" Hagrid bent over to allow Lavender to pet the Snidget.
"Ooh, its so cute!" She giggled as she touched the soft feathers.
When it was Harry's turn to pet the Snidget, he reached out to stroke its belly when he was interrupted by a cold, drawling voice. Hagrid looked in the direction of the voice and immediately clenched his fingers together into fists.
"It's Malfoy's father." Ron hissed in an undertone.
"Hello…Professor." The tall, longhaired man spoke from where he stood, his fingers grasping the head of his walking stick. "Just thought I'd stop by…see how the lessons were coming along." He glanced coldly in Harry's direction before looking back to Hagrid. "Apparently, there was a bit of trouble a while ago…my son suffered great humiliation in this class, and I'm wondering why."
While Hagrid was finding words polite enough to say, Harry stood forward. Already, the pieces were falling together. "That incident happened over a month ago. Why are you bringing it up now?" He narrowed his eyes. "And it's surprising that Malfoy would call upon his father for help. I really thought he knew better than that."
"Now, Potter…If I were you, I wouldn't talk back to my elders like that." Draco's father lowered his voice to a deadly whisper as he neared Harry. "And I'd never, ever, question a Malfoy's judgment…"
"Where is Malfoy anyway?" Harry continued to speak loudly. "Y'know, I thought that he'd have recovered by now…but then again, maybe he's much too embarrassed to come back to class…hey Ron, d'you reckon that the poor git's fainted in the bathroom again? Mr. Malfoy, better go check!"
"Enough!" Draco's father roared. Pulling out his wand, he muttered a spell from between his lips. Ducking, Harry rolled to the grass, only to see the spell make contact with a surprised Hagrid, who had been trying to distract himself with the Snidget.
"Hagrid!" Ron cried out, smoke from the spell billowing about everywhere. "Are you all right? Where are you?"
Harry groped about through the gray mist, hoping to grab a hold upon the professor's limb. "Hagrid!"
All around him, he could hear his classmates crying out in alarm, and winced, his hand run over by a confused student. Pulling out his wand, Harry uttered, "Lumos!" A beam of light emerged from the wand tip, enabling Harry to see better. Nearby, he could see that Ron had done the same.
"Hagrid!" Both of them cried out. They were about to step forward when the large, burly figure of their professor emerged from within the smoke. Harry had never felt so relieved to see that his teacher was all right.
"Hagrid! You're all right!" Harry grabbed onto the half-giant's arm and gave it a squeeze.
"Yeah…yeah I am." Hagrid grumbled, looking a bit confused. "What just happened?"
"Malfoy's dad hit you with a spell." Ron said, brushing himself off. "I guess the Snidget helped you live through it."
"Oh…righ…" Hagrid mumbled, the Snidget upon his shoulder twittering away happily.
Harry could see the smoke clearing, and before them stood Lucius Malfoy, his wand held out, but his face in a state of shock.
"I-it…" He stuttered, eyes wide. "T-the Snidget…its true…"
"You were the one in the hallway yesterday." Harry said, and Lucius stared at Harry, his mouth open.
"Harry! Shut-up! You're not supposed to let him know that!" Ron pulled at his friend's sleeve.
"So who was that other fellow with you, then?" Harry continued, ignoring Ron's pleas. "He's the one whose at Hogwarts, isn't he? The one who makes sure that nothing goes wrong when Dumbledore finally gets his Snidget…but that didn't work out, did it? It just happened that Dumbledore left on an outing…"
"Harry!" Ron tugged harder. "Stop!"
Draco's father lowered his wand slowly. "…I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't." Harry retorted. "Stop feigning it; you just don't want your little plan ruined, or else Voldemort'll get you! Well guess what? It's already been ruined, because you went ahead and attacked Hagrid in class, and he was with the Snidget! That proves that the birds you sent out, which weren't supposed to be able to sing the song of immortality, can sing the song! It wasn't supposed to be that way, now was it?"
