Disclaimer: Much as I'd like to, I don't own Draco Malfoy, or any part of the magical world that J.K. Rowling has all the copyrights to ... please don't sue me. There are some parts of this story that are quotes from the book - it can't be helped - events are the same as in the book, but Draco's opinion of these events may vary from Harry's.
Author's Notes: I needed to do some re-writing, after reading OotP. I have made some minor changes to this chapter, mostly spelling and grammar.
fcuking cathy: Sorry, this is just the way I do this ... you can skim over the answers-to-reviewers if you don't want to read them ... I don't want to delude anyone into thinking my teeny tiny chapters are any longer than they really are. And I've already written as far as GoF ch5, as I type this to you now. Sorry.
Caz Malfoy: Yes, he does know about Sirius ... although he doesn't know about Andromeda or Nymphadora.
dragonsprincess: Yes, he did not like that detention at all. And yes, he knows he's related to Sirius.
angelkas: I enjoy conversations like that one, too ... that's why I write them. And thank you for the compliment to Theo.
Starre: In ways you refuse to mention? Can you at least drop hints? Please *puppy-dog eyes*?
Not the hair! Not the hair! His beautiful hair!
Chapter 16 - Mudbloods ... And Mud
That Saturday was another Hogsmeade trip - I watched as Potter ran up the stairs, away from the rest of us, as we were leaving for Hogsmeade ... still afraid of the Dementors. Some Gryffindor he is ... not that I care, but it's a good insult for him. The best way to insult a Gryffindor is to call them a coward.
Theo, Crabbe, Goyle, and I all went down to Hogsmeade together - Pansy and the other three Slytherin girls were going on a 'shopping spree' - shudder - so we were rid of them for now.
"Think the Shrieking Shack's got some sort of secret entrance?" Theo asked.
"Maybe - want to take a closer look at it, don't we?" I replied. Crabbe and Goyle nodded dumbly.
"Yeah - want a drink first, though - it's freezin'." Theo said, indicating the Three Broomsticks.
I nodded, and the four of us entered the building - it was so much warmer inside, even without the Butterbeer we drank. We claimed a table in the corner, where I had a clear view of half the room, and we were pretty much out of sight from everyone else's point of view. Crabbe and Goyle were muttering to each other the whole time, about something, and then they turned to me in unison, "We want to go to Zonko's." Crabbe said.
"Sure - go - we'll catch up to you." I said, waving dismissively to them.
"If you can find your way there." Theo added jokingly. The two twits then left - up to no good, I'm sure of it - though I doubt they'll do well with whatever they're plotting. Although that laughing potion in the Gryffindor drinks went well in first year, they had help with that.
I turned to Theo, smirking, "Good riddance - they were draining my IQ, just by being there." I said.
"Yeah - they lower the intelligence of the whole room, when they walk in." Theo concurred.
"Who does?" a voice asked, from beside our table asked - Hermione was standing there, watching us.
"Crabbe and Goyle." Theo stated flatly, "Who'd you think we were talking about? The Weasleys?"
"I wouldn't put that past you two." she said, sitting herself opposite the two of us.
"Speaking of Weasleys - where is your little boyfriend, anyway? I know Potter's up in the castle, but I mean the other one." I asked.
She visibly blushed when I called him her boyfriend. That reaction usually means something. Damn. "He's not talking to me, because he thinks Crookshanks killed his rat." she mumbled, looking at the table, and trying not to look upset.
Theo gave me an odd conspiratorial look, and I kicked him violently, under the table, "Does he have any proof of that?" I asked.
"Just blood on a bed sheet, and cat hair in his room - no trace left of Scabbers ... he could easily have been bitten and made a run for it, couldn't he?" she asked, looking at me plaintively, effectively begging for me to agree with her.
"Yeah ... could have." I said, thinking about it - nah, it wasn't possible, was it?
"Yeah - rats fake their own deaths all the time." Theo said sarcastically, earning himself another kick under the table from me, for that remark.
Hermione cringed, "You're right." she said miserably, referring to Theo's implication that she was desperately grasping at straws and Weasley really would never talk to her again.
"You know," I said, trying to sound vaguely comforting, "All you need to do is say the 's' word to him - the one I refuse to say, on principle, but I'm sure a good little Gryffindor like you can say it?"
"Yeah." she said, vaguely, "But that's not why I'm here - I wanted to ask you something, Malfoy."
"Yes, what might that be?" I asked, kind of wishing she'd call me 'Draco', but not wanting to ask her to do so, in case I made myself look like an idiot.
"Can you do anything about Buckbeak?" she asked.
"Why the hell would I want to? It attacked me." I snapped.
"It was your own fault and you know it!" she replied.
"So? It's in my nature to insult people ... is that not a well-documented fact by now?" I asked.
She looked at Theo, and then back to me, "I think you'd suit a Jarvey better than a ferret." she said smugly, "But that is not the point. Can't you put in a word, at least let the animal off without a death-sentence. He's not dangerous to anyone who is POLITE to him ... if you know the meaning of THAT word."
"Ouch." I said sarcastically, feigning injury at her remark. Theo was sniggering at the Jarvey comment. "Look, Granger." I deliberately used her last name, as she had used mine, "I have no say in this any more - my father is pushing for an execution, and that's what he's going to get. I can't stop what I've already put in motion."
"Yes you can ... if you wanted to." she said, almost pouting.
"No ... I can't. Not without getting myself in serious trouble, in the process." I replied.
"What sort of trouble?" she asked.
"The sort where I have to explain WHY I want to go back on my vengeance ... and that would involve explaining about being friends with you ... that would cost me, a price I'm not willing to pay." I answered coldly.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because I'm not suicidal."
Theo blanched, "Surely he'd not hurt you for ... wait, this is Lucius Malfoy we're talking about - forget it." he said.
"Exactly ... and don't call me Shirley." I replied, quoting Sirius Black's joke.
Hermione smirked at my joke, "Very funny, Malfoy." she said, "But there must be something you can-"
"No - I would help you if I could - the Hippogriff seems to have forgiven me for my insult, but I can't go back on what I asked my father to have done to it ... it's too late, now." I said, dropping my mask for her, letting her see the genuine apology in my eyes.
She sighed deeply, "I can't say I didn't try." she said, almost to herself, as she stood up, "I have to go - I need to get back to the castle early, to get my homework all finished."
"Hey - what's the answer to question ten in the Muggle Studies homework?" Theo asked.
"What? The one about the telephone system?" I asked, "That's easy, the answer is 'the operator'." I turned to Hermione, giving her a look that asked 'isn't that right?'
She nodded, smiling, "Yep. That's right." she said, "Now, I have to go." and with that she turned and ran off.
* * *
Minutes after Hermione had left, Theo and I then went to find Crabbe and Goyle. We found them in Zonko's, having bought something that was now wrapped in brown paper, and Crabbe was even as we appeared, putting away in his pocket. "What's that?" I asked.
"A project." Crabbe said evasively. He was capable of being evasive ... I checked his hair-colour, again ... he must be growing some brain cells, finally.
"Whatever." I said, shrugging.
"Hey - I need to go to Honeydukes ... I'm running out of lollipops." Theo said, looking at me.
"You go - I want to see if good old-fashioned brute-force -" I nodded at Crabbe and Goyle, "- can get us into the Shrieking Shack." I replied.
Theo nodded, "Sure - tell me what you find."
And so I led daft and not-so-daft-apparently, up the hill towards the offending building ... I say offending because it wouldn't let me in last time - it'd get beat up pretty badly if it persisted in not letting me in.
Crabbe actually made an intelligent question, as we walked up the slope, "So what's happening about that bird-thingy that clawed you?" he asked.
"The Hippogriff, you mean?" I asked ... he nodded. "The whole thing is fixed - no way they could win. Father has the whole Committee eating out of his hand ... and the executioner's an old friend of his. I should have an owl from Father any time now. He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm ... about how I couldn't use it for three months ..."
The idiots sniggered stupidly - they may be practically brainless, but the fact that I smacked them both around the head more than once, with my supposedly 'damaged' arm was enough for even them to realise I had been faking it.
"I really wish I could hear that great hairy moron trying to defend himself ... 'there's no 'arm in 'im, 'onest -' ... that Hippogriff's as good as dead. -"
I stopped as we reached the top of the hill and I spotted the beacon of red hair that could only be a Weasley - Potter's pet Weasley, at that. Defenceless, without his hero to protect him. I smirked viciously. Almost too easy ... not that that would ever stop me.
"What are you doing here, Weasley?" I asked, looking up at the Shrieking Shack, "Suppose you'd love to live here, wouldn't you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom? I heard your family all sleep in one room - is that true?" Weasley looked like he wanted to lunge at me, and I vaguely wondered why he hadn't yet. He must need some more provocation. "We were just discussing your friend Hagrid. Just trying to imagine what he's saying to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. D'you think he'll cry when they cut off his Hippogriff's -"
I stopped there because I was suddenly hit from behind with what, when I reached up to my hair to find out what it was, turned out to be mud ... I will repeat for emphasis - it was in my HAIR!!!
"What the -?" I turned round, looking for the source of the flying mud ... there was no one there. "What was that? Who did that?" I asked, looking for someone to order my bodyguards to attack.
Weasley was falling over himself with laughter, "Very haunting up here, isn't it?" he managed to ask, between hysterics ... at least someone thought this was funny - he'd not be laughing when we were done with him, that's for sure.
I continued to look around, for any sign of movement, now, not just the human kind. Then another splatter of mud, this time particularly foul-smelling stuff, was thrown in our direction, from thin air. I had seen it floating up and throwing itself at us. Crabbe and Goyle got the worst of it this time, although some of it hit my face. "It came from over there!" I snapped at my cronies, pointing to where I had seen it.
Crabbe started forward, looking like a zombie with his arms out in front of him like that, only to be hit from behind with a stick. He whirled round and turned on Weasley. Seconds later he tripped, falling flat on his face.
At exactly the same time, I saw what had to be my imagination ... Potter's head, floating in mid-air. I stared for a moment, then realised this was actually what I was seeing.
I yelled in anger, then turned and ran back to the castle - if I could get there in time to warn someone that he was out of bounds, then maybe he would get expelled. That would be good.
I ran as fast as I could, hearing the pea brained pair running behind me. I bolted past the Dementors, who barely gave me a second glance, although it must have taken Crabbe and Goyle some time to persuade them that they had a right to be there since they were nowhere to be seen as I re-entered the castle building, still wiping mud out of my hair.
Mud ... in hair ... bad ... very bad.
How? How had Potter's head managed to appear in thin air, at the Shrieking Shack? And he had thrown things at me, apparently out of nowhere. He had to have been invisible. An Invisibility Cloak? Yes, that would be the most logical explanation ... other invisibility spells wouldn't have failed like that (for example - Invisibility Potion always starts with feet reappearing first).
I ran down to the dungeons, not pausing for breath, until I came to Snape's office and knocked frantically.
"Who is it?" Snape's ominous voice asked.
"It's ... me ... sir." I panted.
The door opened and Snape looked at me, wrinkling his nose in disgust, at the smell. "What happened to you, Mr Malfoy?" he asked.
"Potter ... he was ... at Hogsmeade ... looked like ... he had ... an Invisibility Cloak, sir." I said, as quickly as my lack of breath would allow.
"How could you tell by looking, at that rate?" he asked sceptically.
"He threw mud at us, sir." I took another deep breath before continuing, "And then the cloak slipped and I saw his face. It was definitely him, sir."
"Right. Thank you, Mr Malfoy." he said, turning and heading up the stairs, "You go back to your common room, and clean yourself up - I will go up to Gryffindor Tower and see if Mr Potter is absent."
As Snape disappeared around a corner, I muttered to thin air, "Oh, he will be. He will be."
I made it back to the Slytherin common room, and right the way into the showers, without being spotted by any of the first-or-second years that were hanging around. And I made a mental note to pester Father into buying me an Invisibility Cloak - that sort of thing could come in very useful.
* * *
End of chapter 16
Author's Notes: I needed to do some re-writing, after reading OotP. I have made some minor changes to this chapter, mostly spelling and grammar.
fcuking cathy: Sorry, this is just the way I do this ... you can skim over the answers-to-reviewers if you don't want to read them ... I don't want to delude anyone into thinking my teeny tiny chapters are any longer than they really are. And I've already written as far as GoF ch5, as I type this to you now. Sorry.
Caz Malfoy: Yes, he does know about Sirius ... although he doesn't know about Andromeda or Nymphadora.
dragonsprincess: Yes, he did not like that detention at all. And yes, he knows he's related to Sirius.
angelkas: I enjoy conversations like that one, too ... that's why I write them. And thank you for the compliment to Theo.
Starre: In ways you refuse to mention? Can you at least drop hints? Please *puppy-dog eyes*?
Not the hair! Not the hair! His beautiful hair!
Chapter 16 - Mudbloods ... And Mud
That Saturday was another Hogsmeade trip - I watched as Potter ran up the stairs, away from the rest of us, as we were leaving for Hogsmeade ... still afraid of the Dementors. Some Gryffindor he is ... not that I care, but it's a good insult for him. The best way to insult a Gryffindor is to call them a coward.
Theo, Crabbe, Goyle, and I all went down to Hogsmeade together - Pansy and the other three Slytherin girls were going on a 'shopping spree' - shudder - so we were rid of them for now.
"Think the Shrieking Shack's got some sort of secret entrance?" Theo asked.
"Maybe - want to take a closer look at it, don't we?" I replied. Crabbe and Goyle nodded dumbly.
"Yeah - want a drink first, though - it's freezin'." Theo said, indicating the Three Broomsticks.
I nodded, and the four of us entered the building - it was so much warmer inside, even without the Butterbeer we drank. We claimed a table in the corner, where I had a clear view of half the room, and we were pretty much out of sight from everyone else's point of view. Crabbe and Goyle were muttering to each other the whole time, about something, and then they turned to me in unison, "We want to go to Zonko's." Crabbe said.
"Sure - go - we'll catch up to you." I said, waving dismissively to them.
"If you can find your way there." Theo added jokingly. The two twits then left - up to no good, I'm sure of it - though I doubt they'll do well with whatever they're plotting. Although that laughing potion in the Gryffindor drinks went well in first year, they had help with that.
I turned to Theo, smirking, "Good riddance - they were draining my IQ, just by being there." I said.
"Yeah - they lower the intelligence of the whole room, when they walk in." Theo concurred.
"Who does?" a voice asked, from beside our table asked - Hermione was standing there, watching us.
"Crabbe and Goyle." Theo stated flatly, "Who'd you think we were talking about? The Weasleys?"
"I wouldn't put that past you two." she said, sitting herself opposite the two of us.
"Speaking of Weasleys - where is your little boyfriend, anyway? I know Potter's up in the castle, but I mean the other one." I asked.
She visibly blushed when I called him her boyfriend. That reaction usually means something. Damn. "He's not talking to me, because he thinks Crookshanks killed his rat." she mumbled, looking at the table, and trying not to look upset.
Theo gave me an odd conspiratorial look, and I kicked him violently, under the table, "Does he have any proof of that?" I asked.
"Just blood on a bed sheet, and cat hair in his room - no trace left of Scabbers ... he could easily have been bitten and made a run for it, couldn't he?" she asked, looking at me plaintively, effectively begging for me to agree with her.
"Yeah ... could have." I said, thinking about it - nah, it wasn't possible, was it?
"Yeah - rats fake their own deaths all the time." Theo said sarcastically, earning himself another kick under the table from me, for that remark.
Hermione cringed, "You're right." she said miserably, referring to Theo's implication that she was desperately grasping at straws and Weasley really would never talk to her again.
"You know," I said, trying to sound vaguely comforting, "All you need to do is say the 's' word to him - the one I refuse to say, on principle, but I'm sure a good little Gryffindor like you can say it?"
"Yeah." she said, vaguely, "But that's not why I'm here - I wanted to ask you something, Malfoy."
"Yes, what might that be?" I asked, kind of wishing she'd call me 'Draco', but not wanting to ask her to do so, in case I made myself look like an idiot.
"Can you do anything about Buckbeak?" she asked.
"Why the hell would I want to? It attacked me." I snapped.
"It was your own fault and you know it!" she replied.
"So? It's in my nature to insult people ... is that not a well-documented fact by now?" I asked.
She looked at Theo, and then back to me, "I think you'd suit a Jarvey better than a ferret." she said smugly, "But that is not the point. Can't you put in a word, at least let the animal off without a death-sentence. He's not dangerous to anyone who is POLITE to him ... if you know the meaning of THAT word."
"Ouch." I said sarcastically, feigning injury at her remark. Theo was sniggering at the Jarvey comment. "Look, Granger." I deliberately used her last name, as she had used mine, "I have no say in this any more - my father is pushing for an execution, and that's what he's going to get. I can't stop what I've already put in motion."
"Yes you can ... if you wanted to." she said, almost pouting.
"No ... I can't. Not without getting myself in serious trouble, in the process." I replied.
"What sort of trouble?" she asked.
"The sort where I have to explain WHY I want to go back on my vengeance ... and that would involve explaining about being friends with you ... that would cost me, a price I'm not willing to pay." I answered coldly.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because I'm not suicidal."
Theo blanched, "Surely he'd not hurt you for ... wait, this is Lucius Malfoy we're talking about - forget it." he said.
"Exactly ... and don't call me Shirley." I replied, quoting Sirius Black's joke.
Hermione smirked at my joke, "Very funny, Malfoy." she said, "But there must be something you can-"
"No - I would help you if I could - the Hippogriff seems to have forgiven me for my insult, but I can't go back on what I asked my father to have done to it ... it's too late, now." I said, dropping my mask for her, letting her see the genuine apology in my eyes.
She sighed deeply, "I can't say I didn't try." she said, almost to herself, as she stood up, "I have to go - I need to get back to the castle early, to get my homework all finished."
"Hey - what's the answer to question ten in the Muggle Studies homework?" Theo asked.
"What? The one about the telephone system?" I asked, "That's easy, the answer is 'the operator'." I turned to Hermione, giving her a look that asked 'isn't that right?'
She nodded, smiling, "Yep. That's right." she said, "Now, I have to go." and with that she turned and ran off.
* * *
Minutes after Hermione had left, Theo and I then went to find Crabbe and Goyle. We found them in Zonko's, having bought something that was now wrapped in brown paper, and Crabbe was even as we appeared, putting away in his pocket. "What's that?" I asked.
"A project." Crabbe said evasively. He was capable of being evasive ... I checked his hair-colour, again ... he must be growing some brain cells, finally.
"Whatever." I said, shrugging.
"Hey - I need to go to Honeydukes ... I'm running out of lollipops." Theo said, looking at me.
"You go - I want to see if good old-fashioned brute-force -" I nodded at Crabbe and Goyle, "- can get us into the Shrieking Shack." I replied.
Theo nodded, "Sure - tell me what you find."
And so I led daft and not-so-daft-apparently, up the hill towards the offending building ... I say offending because it wouldn't let me in last time - it'd get beat up pretty badly if it persisted in not letting me in.
Crabbe actually made an intelligent question, as we walked up the slope, "So what's happening about that bird-thingy that clawed you?" he asked.
"The Hippogriff, you mean?" I asked ... he nodded. "The whole thing is fixed - no way they could win. Father has the whole Committee eating out of his hand ... and the executioner's an old friend of his. I should have an owl from Father any time now. He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm ... about how I couldn't use it for three months ..."
The idiots sniggered stupidly - they may be practically brainless, but the fact that I smacked them both around the head more than once, with my supposedly 'damaged' arm was enough for even them to realise I had been faking it.
"I really wish I could hear that great hairy moron trying to defend himself ... 'there's no 'arm in 'im, 'onest -' ... that Hippogriff's as good as dead. -"
I stopped as we reached the top of the hill and I spotted the beacon of red hair that could only be a Weasley - Potter's pet Weasley, at that. Defenceless, without his hero to protect him. I smirked viciously. Almost too easy ... not that that would ever stop me.
"What are you doing here, Weasley?" I asked, looking up at the Shrieking Shack, "Suppose you'd love to live here, wouldn't you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom? I heard your family all sleep in one room - is that true?" Weasley looked like he wanted to lunge at me, and I vaguely wondered why he hadn't yet. He must need some more provocation. "We were just discussing your friend Hagrid. Just trying to imagine what he's saying to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. D'you think he'll cry when they cut off his Hippogriff's -"
I stopped there because I was suddenly hit from behind with what, when I reached up to my hair to find out what it was, turned out to be mud ... I will repeat for emphasis - it was in my HAIR!!!
"What the -?" I turned round, looking for the source of the flying mud ... there was no one there. "What was that? Who did that?" I asked, looking for someone to order my bodyguards to attack.
Weasley was falling over himself with laughter, "Very haunting up here, isn't it?" he managed to ask, between hysterics ... at least someone thought this was funny - he'd not be laughing when we were done with him, that's for sure.
I continued to look around, for any sign of movement, now, not just the human kind. Then another splatter of mud, this time particularly foul-smelling stuff, was thrown in our direction, from thin air. I had seen it floating up and throwing itself at us. Crabbe and Goyle got the worst of it this time, although some of it hit my face. "It came from over there!" I snapped at my cronies, pointing to where I had seen it.
Crabbe started forward, looking like a zombie with his arms out in front of him like that, only to be hit from behind with a stick. He whirled round and turned on Weasley. Seconds later he tripped, falling flat on his face.
At exactly the same time, I saw what had to be my imagination ... Potter's head, floating in mid-air. I stared for a moment, then realised this was actually what I was seeing.
I yelled in anger, then turned and ran back to the castle - if I could get there in time to warn someone that he was out of bounds, then maybe he would get expelled. That would be good.
I ran as fast as I could, hearing the pea brained pair running behind me. I bolted past the Dementors, who barely gave me a second glance, although it must have taken Crabbe and Goyle some time to persuade them that they had a right to be there since they were nowhere to be seen as I re-entered the castle building, still wiping mud out of my hair.
Mud ... in hair ... bad ... very bad.
How? How had Potter's head managed to appear in thin air, at the Shrieking Shack? And he had thrown things at me, apparently out of nowhere. He had to have been invisible. An Invisibility Cloak? Yes, that would be the most logical explanation ... other invisibility spells wouldn't have failed like that (for example - Invisibility Potion always starts with feet reappearing first).
I ran down to the dungeons, not pausing for breath, until I came to Snape's office and knocked frantically.
"Who is it?" Snape's ominous voice asked.
"It's ... me ... sir." I panted.
The door opened and Snape looked at me, wrinkling his nose in disgust, at the smell. "What happened to you, Mr Malfoy?" he asked.
"Potter ... he was ... at Hogsmeade ... looked like ... he had ... an Invisibility Cloak, sir." I said, as quickly as my lack of breath would allow.
"How could you tell by looking, at that rate?" he asked sceptically.
"He threw mud at us, sir." I took another deep breath before continuing, "And then the cloak slipped and I saw his face. It was definitely him, sir."
"Right. Thank you, Mr Malfoy." he said, turning and heading up the stairs, "You go back to your common room, and clean yourself up - I will go up to Gryffindor Tower and see if Mr Potter is absent."
As Snape disappeared around a corner, I muttered to thin air, "Oh, he will be. He will be."
I made it back to the Slytherin common room, and right the way into the showers, without being spotted by any of the first-or-second years that were hanging around. And I made a mental note to pester Father into buying me an Invisibility Cloak - that sort of thing could come in very useful.
* * *
End of chapter 16