Jailbird
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling (JKR), various publishers of the Harry Potter (HP) series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 5 (uploaded 11/13/03, major revision 11/18/03)
His transformation complete, Malfoy got up off the couch, "Damn it, Crabbe, it seems in my haste, I forgot to grab a set of Snape's robes and shoes. Go down to the laundry and see what you can dig up. I'm going to see what I can do about this hair."
Crabbe ran out the door and found Malfoy in the prefects bathroom looking at himself (as Snape) in the full-length mirror. "Lucius, this is all I could find." He handed over a bundle of black robes and bed slippers. The laundry was empty. A house elf told me Snape doesn't use the Hogwarts laundry. I found this in the teacher's lounge."
"Good man, Crabbe. Good man." Lucius ran his hands through his black strings of hair. "Honestly, I don't know that man can stand himself. It's no wonder he's still single. I think I might have to help out our dear friend."
Lucius finished dressing and went down to dinner in the Great Hall with Crabbe. Dumbledore was just finishing his dinner. "I thought you had forgotten about dinner. I'm sorry I can't stay. Where's Draco?" Dumbledore inquired.
"That's why we're late, Albus. Draco wasn't feeling well. I gave him something to calm him down."
The twinkle disappeared from the headmaster's eyes, "Perhaps I'll have the kitchen send sandwiches to him later. Tell me, Severus. How is our little project coming along?"
"I think he'll sleep though the night." Of course, being that he was actually Lucius, he didn't know what the crazy old geezer was talking about. "I've been preoccupied. However, I have several projects ongoing. Which one were you referring to?"
Dumbledore pushed away from the table and stood to leave. "I see. I was eluding to the new one we discussed this afternoon."
Lucius sneered as well as he could in Snape's face, receiving an affirmative nod from Crabbe. "I've done nothing on that, Sir. I've been busy with the children this afternoon."
"Perhaps tomorrow then. If you'll excuse me, I must research my part of the project." Dumbledore waved as he left the Great Hall.
~ ~ ~
Dumbledore sat behind his desk staring at the candle on his desk. He absentmindedly twirled the shiny gadget sitting on his desk causing it to spin and spin with a single long finger. There was a loud pop in the fireplace, and when he looked over, his good friend, Mad-Eye Moody's head looked over at the desk. "Albus, I got your message."
"Alastor, do you have time to step in for a little chat? I'd like to bounce some ideas off of you." The paranoid retiree nodded, then stepped through the fireplace, stopping only to brush the dust off of his trench coat.
"Would you like some tea? Gummi bear, perhaps?"
"I'll take the tea, thanks Albus. What's this about?"
The white-haired headmaster waved his wand and a tea tray appeared on his desk. He walked around and placed it between the two armchairs, sat down, and poured tea. "A couple things, I think. Short of tying down a person and performing identification spells, is there a quick way you have of telling if a person in front of you is who he represents himself to be?"
"Depends how he is disguised. If it's polyjuice, the only way is to observe the subject for over an hour. A metamorphagus or animagus would need to be tricked into extreme emotional or mental distress. Glamour charms and other charms are easy enough to see through with foe glass, but the subject would need to be very close in proximity to get an accurate reading." The visitor took a sip of his tea.
"Well, with foe glass, your loyalties would need to be strongly defined, wouldn't it?"
"Why, is this for your Death Eater spy? I still don't trust him, I think he'll turn to save his own bum."
"Is that it? Are there any other ways to disguise oneself?"
"Albus, quit beating around the bush. Who do you think is in disguise?"
"Lucius Malfoy. It's definitely not polyjuice or charms, those would have been revealed by now."
"Malfoy, Azkaban cell Theta-Psi-Forty-Seven. He wasn't wearing jewelry, either. Witnessed his processing, myself."
"Jewelry?"
"It's rare, but I've heard about items which might look like jewelry. Inside is a drop of blood of the person the wearer intends to be." The old auror drained his cup.
"Another?" Dumbledore held up the teapot.
"No, thanks, Albus. Is there anything else? I have trash cans to charm against alley cats," Moody growled.
"Cats getting into your trash again? Be careful." Dumbledore chuckled.
"Always." Came the gruff reply.
"Yes, one more thing. Severus and two of his Slytherins are here now. I wonder if you could verify their identities for me. I have reason to suspect that the potion master at the dinner table was not himself."
"How so?"
"For one, he had pasta and garlic bread. Severus hates garlic. Two, he smiled and was too friendly. Three, he wore slippers to the dinner table."
"Don't you think he might be relaxing? And as a relaxed man, leak a smile or two?"
Dumbledore snorted, "Severus Snape relax? He called me Albus. I am always trying to get him to call me Albus. I didn't even threaten to hex him."
"Well, you know him better than I." Moody jumped up and drew his wand, looking wildly around the office. "Who's there? Identify yourself!"
The ghost floated in through the wall. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington," he pulled his hat off and bowed, "at your service, Sir." As he bent over, his head fell off and hung by a bit of sinew from his neck. "Headmaster, there is a skinny blonde boy dragging his trunk through the halls. Peeves is having a bit of fun with him, but the boy is determined." He stood up and straightened out his head.
"Nick, please have Peeves guide Draco Malfoy into classroom thirteen." Dumbledore tugged on his beard and walked over to a cabinet, returning with a flask. "Alastor, would you mind standing in for me? Perhaps it's a good time to interview subject number one." He trimmed a bit of his hair, which hung down to his waist, and dropped it into the flask. When it stopped hissing and bubbling, he handed it to his friend. "Do you have your mirror with you?"
Moody changed into Dumbledore's robes. While Dumbledore took Moody's trench coat. "You take care of that for me. I'm quite fond of it." Dumbledore fished out Moody's hand mirror and handed it to his friend.
"Always, Mad-Eye. Good luck." Moody took two large gulps of the potion and sat back in the armchair.
"Before I make my appearance, would you charm me with an invisible bubblehead?" ~ ~ ~
Draco paced in front of the stone gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office trying the names of every sweet he knew. The gargoyle stood unmoving from its position. Suddenly, the gargoyle jumped off to the side and the double doors slid open. The tall, thin white wizard with purple robes stepped out of the doorway. "Draco, is there something you wanted to see me about?"
Draco sneered, "Yes, sir. Can we talk in room thirteen, though?" He turned his head toward the hallway as Mrs. Norris jumped into a dark corner, leaving her tail swishing behind her.
Dumbledore looked sternly at the blonde teen, "Certainly, after you." The room was furnished as comfortably as a the common rooms. Behind the couch was an empty Hogwarts trunk. Behind Draco, Dumbledore rolled his eyes and grimaced. A large picture of the Headmaster hung over the cold fireplace. (It's summer, so no fire.)
"Sir, I just wanted to talk to you about Professor Snape." Draco moved his chair next to the Headmaster's, one hand under the chair, the other behind his back.
"Have you eaten yet Draco? Some tea perhaps? Sandwiches?"
"I'm okay, Professor Dumbledore. The house elves brought up a tray of sandwiches for me." They did actually, but because Draco had already eaten dinner, Crabbe enjoyed the after dinner snack.
"Then let's get down to business, shall we?"
"Yes, sir. I just wanted to show you this watch that I'd like to give him." Draco pulled the watch out of his pocket and pushed it forward toward Dumbledore's face.
"Excuse me?" The gray wizard leaned forward. He turned his head oddly and seemed to examine it from a distance.
"I'm Lucius Malfoy, and you are my prisoner." With that he popped open the watch and squirted the headmaster in the face. Oddly, though, Dumbledore only smiled before passing out on the couch. Draco pulled the black trunk around and stuffed Dumbledore's body into it.
Dumbledore observed Room 13 in his mirror through the eyes of his portrait. "I'm so sorry, Alastor. I know how much you're going to hate waking up in that trunk," he said out loud as he shook his head.
Author's note: Thank you Abyssinian, Kayla, and Kira. Sorry, I can't tell you who's sitting in prison for Lucius Malfoy, yet. I'll try to update more often, but my mother has been staying with me this week. I just hate it when life gets in the way of my latest obsession, I mean hobby. I did update the other chapters after running the spell checker.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling (JKR), various publishers of the Harry Potter (HP) series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 5 (uploaded 11/13/03, major revision 11/18/03)
His transformation complete, Malfoy got up off the couch, "Damn it, Crabbe, it seems in my haste, I forgot to grab a set of Snape's robes and shoes. Go down to the laundry and see what you can dig up. I'm going to see what I can do about this hair."
Crabbe ran out the door and found Malfoy in the prefects bathroom looking at himself (as Snape) in the full-length mirror. "Lucius, this is all I could find." He handed over a bundle of black robes and bed slippers. The laundry was empty. A house elf told me Snape doesn't use the Hogwarts laundry. I found this in the teacher's lounge."
"Good man, Crabbe. Good man." Lucius ran his hands through his black strings of hair. "Honestly, I don't know that man can stand himself. It's no wonder he's still single. I think I might have to help out our dear friend."
Lucius finished dressing and went down to dinner in the Great Hall with Crabbe. Dumbledore was just finishing his dinner. "I thought you had forgotten about dinner. I'm sorry I can't stay. Where's Draco?" Dumbledore inquired.
"That's why we're late, Albus. Draco wasn't feeling well. I gave him something to calm him down."
The twinkle disappeared from the headmaster's eyes, "Perhaps I'll have the kitchen send sandwiches to him later. Tell me, Severus. How is our little project coming along?"
"I think he'll sleep though the night." Of course, being that he was actually Lucius, he didn't know what the crazy old geezer was talking about. "I've been preoccupied. However, I have several projects ongoing. Which one were you referring to?"
Dumbledore pushed away from the table and stood to leave. "I see. I was eluding to the new one we discussed this afternoon."
Lucius sneered as well as he could in Snape's face, receiving an affirmative nod from Crabbe. "I've done nothing on that, Sir. I've been busy with the children this afternoon."
"Perhaps tomorrow then. If you'll excuse me, I must research my part of the project." Dumbledore waved as he left the Great Hall.
~ ~ ~
Dumbledore sat behind his desk staring at the candle on his desk. He absentmindedly twirled the shiny gadget sitting on his desk causing it to spin and spin with a single long finger. There was a loud pop in the fireplace, and when he looked over, his good friend, Mad-Eye Moody's head looked over at the desk. "Albus, I got your message."
"Alastor, do you have time to step in for a little chat? I'd like to bounce some ideas off of you." The paranoid retiree nodded, then stepped through the fireplace, stopping only to brush the dust off of his trench coat.
"Would you like some tea? Gummi bear, perhaps?"
"I'll take the tea, thanks Albus. What's this about?"
The white-haired headmaster waved his wand and a tea tray appeared on his desk. He walked around and placed it between the two armchairs, sat down, and poured tea. "A couple things, I think. Short of tying down a person and performing identification spells, is there a quick way you have of telling if a person in front of you is who he represents himself to be?"
"Depends how he is disguised. If it's polyjuice, the only way is to observe the subject for over an hour. A metamorphagus or animagus would need to be tricked into extreme emotional or mental distress. Glamour charms and other charms are easy enough to see through with foe glass, but the subject would need to be very close in proximity to get an accurate reading." The visitor took a sip of his tea.
"Well, with foe glass, your loyalties would need to be strongly defined, wouldn't it?"
"Why, is this for your Death Eater spy? I still don't trust him, I think he'll turn to save his own bum."
"Is that it? Are there any other ways to disguise oneself?"
"Albus, quit beating around the bush. Who do you think is in disguise?"
"Lucius Malfoy. It's definitely not polyjuice or charms, those would have been revealed by now."
"Malfoy, Azkaban cell Theta-Psi-Forty-Seven. He wasn't wearing jewelry, either. Witnessed his processing, myself."
"Jewelry?"
"It's rare, but I've heard about items which might look like jewelry. Inside is a drop of blood of the person the wearer intends to be." The old auror drained his cup.
"Another?" Dumbledore held up the teapot.
"No, thanks, Albus. Is there anything else? I have trash cans to charm against alley cats," Moody growled.
"Cats getting into your trash again? Be careful." Dumbledore chuckled.
"Always." Came the gruff reply.
"Yes, one more thing. Severus and two of his Slytherins are here now. I wonder if you could verify their identities for me. I have reason to suspect that the potion master at the dinner table was not himself."
"How so?"
"For one, he had pasta and garlic bread. Severus hates garlic. Two, he smiled and was too friendly. Three, he wore slippers to the dinner table."
"Don't you think he might be relaxing? And as a relaxed man, leak a smile or two?"
Dumbledore snorted, "Severus Snape relax? He called me Albus. I am always trying to get him to call me Albus. I didn't even threaten to hex him."
"Well, you know him better than I." Moody jumped up and drew his wand, looking wildly around the office. "Who's there? Identify yourself!"
The ghost floated in through the wall. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington," he pulled his hat off and bowed, "at your service, Sir." As he bent over, his head fell off and hung by a bit of sinew from his neck. "Headmaster, there is a skinny blonde boy dragging his trunk through the halls. Peeves is having a bit of fun with him, but the boy is determined." He stood up and straightened out his head.
"Nick, please have Peeves guide Draco Malfoy into classroom thirteen." Dumbledore tugged on his beard and walked over to a cabinet, returning with a flask. "Alastor, would you mind standing in for me? Perhaps it's a good time to interview subject number one." He trimmed a bit of his hair, which hung down to his waist, and dropped it into the flask. When it stopped hissing and bubbling, he handed it to his friend. "Do you have your mirror with you?"
Moody changed into Dumbledore's robes. While Dumbledore took Moody's trench coat. "You take care of that for me. I'm quite fond of it." Dumbledore fished out Moody's hand mirror and handed it to his friend.
"Always, Mad-Eye. Good luck." Moody took two large gulps of the potion and sat back in the armchair.
"Before I make my appearance, would you charm me with an invisible bubblehead?" ~ ~ ~
Draco paced in front of the stone gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office trying the names of every sweet he knew. The gargoyle stood unmoving from its position. Suddenly, the gargoyle jumped off to the side and the double doors slid open. The tall, thin white wizard with purple robes stepped out of the doorway. "Draco, is there something you wanted to see me about?"
Draco sneered, "Yes, sir. Can we talk in room thirteen, though?" He turned his head toward the hallway as Mrs. Norris jumped into a dark corner, leaving her tail swishing behind her.
Dumbledore looked sternly at the blonde teen, "Certainly, after you." The room was furnished as comfortably as a the common rooms. Behind the couch was an empty Hogwarts trunk. Behind Draco, Dumbledore rolled his eyes and grimaced. A large picture of the Headmaster hung over the cold fireplace. (It's summer, so no fire.)
"Sir, I just wanted to talk to you about Professor Snape." Draco moved his chair next to the Headmaster's, one hand under the chair, the other behind his back.
"Have you eaten yet Draco? Some tea perhaps? Sandwiches?"
"I'm okay, Professor Dumbledore. The house elves brought up a tray of sandwiches for me." They did actually, but because Draco had already eaten dinner, Crabbe enjoyed the after dinner snack.
"Then let's get down to business, shall we?"
"Yes, sir. I just wanted to show you this watch that I'd like to give him." Draco pulled the watch out of his pocket and pushed it forward toward Dumbledore's face.
"Excuse me?" The gray wizard leaned forward. He turned his head oddly and seemed to examine it from a distance.
"I'm Lucius Malfoy, and you are my prisoner." With that he popped open the watch and squirted the headmaster in the face. Oddly, though, Dumbledore only smiled before passing out on the couch. Draco pulled the black trunk around and stuffed Dumbledore's body into it.
Dumbledore observed Room 13 in his mirror through the eyes of his portrait. "I'm so sorry, Alastor. I know how much you're going to hate waking up in that trunk," he said out loud as he shook his head.
Author's note: Thank you Abyssinian, Kayla, and Kira. Sorry, I can't tell you who's sitting in prison for Lucius Malfoy, yet. I'll try to update more often, but my mother has been staying with me this week. I just hate it when life gets in the way of my latest obsession, I mean hobby. I did update the other chapters after running the spell checker.