Disclaimer - All JKR's, nothing mine! Except for a few characters I added.
Disclaimer 2 - Draco drawing dragons belongs to PikaCheeka. Sorry I forgot to mention that in the first chapter. I sort of adopted the idea subconsciously.
Disclaimer 3 - Severus' raven belongs to J. L. Matthews. I just borrowed him because he's such a perfect pet for Sevi and promise to return him unharmed.
The catar however are all mine and I love them so please don't use without asking me first.
-
-
A/N - Well, well, well, we haven't even met any suspects, yet and some of you already have their ideas about who the traitor might be. For those still undecided there are a few more names of suspects in this one.
-
-
Double O Seve . . . rus
-
-
Chapter 2: Back to School
-
-
Draco Malfoy frowned at his father as he met him at Kings Cross station. He had just been called back from his holiday early. An absolutely great holiday with his girlfriend! At a facility for the study of dragons at that. Now instead of getting to see his favourite baby dragon grow he had to return to school. Without Ginny!
Lucius Malfoy frowned back. He was in an even worse mood than his son. Not only was he forced to get Draco from a Muggle train station, no he even had to meet him on a Muggle platform. His son riding a Muggle train! Not to mention the Muggle plane that had returned him to England.
Of course that was what you got from dating a Muggle loving Weasley brat, but better Virginia Weasley than that Mudblood Hermione Granger Draco had had his eyes on for a bit. At least Weasley was a pureblood, had acceptable looks and as far as he knew was capable at wand work.
The Dark Lord had even said that the match wasn't quite that bad. True, it had stopped him from using Draco in his plans for the foreseeable future, if the boy continued dating a Weasley, but in a few years it would serve as a good cover for the ministry, if Draco married a witch from a known light family. At least that's what Licius assumed the Dark Lord's reasons for accepting the match were. Hell, Voldemort had actually spoken of the possibility of a marriage! Maybe he was hoping to indirectly conserve the Weasley bloodline by mixing them with the Malfoys?
Lucius Malfoy could live with all those little indignities. He could take having to wear Muggle clothes at the station. He could even accept the fact that Draco didn't seem to mind being surrounded by all those Muggles.
What he could not take however was the indignity of what lay before him now. Returning to his old school was acceptable if he returned for a visit, but returning there to work? A Malfoy that had to work, that was the greatest indignity ever. And then starting tomorrow he'd be working for Albus Dumbledore at that!
Lucius just nodded at his son without a word, turned and walked off the platform expecting Draco to follow him.
Draco sighed and struggled with his heavy suitcase. The levitation charm Charlie Weasley had cast on it back in Romania had had to be taken off before it was weighed at the Muggle airport. It hadn't been a problem at the time, because the Muggles had loaded and unloaded it from there, but then he'd had to drag it to the train and now it looked like he had to drag it once again.
Then again, what had he expected his father to do? He couldn't cast a spell in front of all these Muggles. The poor things would be frightened, Charlie had explained to him, just like the baby dragons had been frightened at the sight of their father.
He'd never thought of things from the Weasley's perspective before. The way they saw it Muggles were poor helpless creatures that required the wizards' protection and it was their moral duty to provide it for them. Instead of being ashamed Charlie and Ginny were proud of their father's work in the lowly Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department of the ministry. He hadn't chosen it because of the money, though the Weasleys did need it. He'd chosen it, because it gave him a chance to fulfil that duty.
With Lucius striding ahead proudly and Draco struggling to drag his luggage after him as fast as he could so he wouldn't lose him in the crowd they finally arrived on the magical platform 9 3/4. Draco breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. His father strode on down the platform apparently determined to ride in the very first coach.
What Draco wouldn't have given to have one of the trolleys they usually used when returning to school, but he'd have had to go back to look for one as there weren't any abandoned ones standing around the platform and if he did that he'd definitely lose Lucius. Instead he just continued stumbling along half carrying and half dragging his suitcase muttering under his breath about the fact that he seemed to be the only person in the whole station whose suitcase didn't have wheels.
Lucius did indeed keep going until he reached the very first coach stepped into the door and waited until Draco finally caught up. With an annoyed look he held out his hand demandingly and Draco obediently handed over his suitcase. After all his father was blocking the door and he couldn't get in.
A small part of him wondered what he'd do, if the driver decided that he wasn't getting in and closed the doors now. Even his money was in that suitcase. He wouldn't even be able to buy a ticket for the next train nor did he have anywhere to stay here in London.
Luckily the train didn't start until about a second after he'd climbed in. He wondered how long after their scheduled departure time it actually was, but his father hadn't given him the time. In fact Draco hadn't even known that they would go on to Hogwarts right after he'd arrived.
"Father?" he hazarded a question once they had settled into their compartment. "Why are you taking me to school early? Is term starting early this year? Then why isn't Ginny going back, yet?"
"I'm not taking you to school." Lucius grumbled. "You are accompanying me."
Draco blinked. "Why would you go to Hogwarts, Father?"
"You know that somebody framed me for extortion and performing magic in front of Muggles, don't you?" Lucius hissed.
"Yes, Father." Draco didn't dare mention that he'd assumed that his father was very much guilty of the crime until now. He still wasn't sure he wasn't just because he'd said so.
"And that I was sentenced to perform some kind of social service by the Wizengamot?"
"Yes, Father."
"Well, dear old Albus Dumbledore, who came up with that very idea for my punishment also had an excellent suggestion where and how I might perform that service." Lucius continued sarcastically. "He is apparently in need of a temporary replacement for his Potions teacher. Just how temporary he didn't say."
Draco felt a sudden wave of dread. "Why? What's wrong with Professor Snape?"
"I don't really know, but Dumbledore told me that I was free to go as soon as he was able to teach again."
"And the Lord?" Draco didn't dare add Dark on a public train and didn't want to add our. "What did he have to say about it all?"
Lucius sighed. "He has a job for me to perform at Hogwarts, said it fit his plans perfectly, as if Dumbledore were intentionally playing into his hands."
"What kind of job?" Draco asked eagerly.
"That, Draco, is a secret that concerns only those involved." Lucius declared calmly.
Draco nodded obediently. It didn't really concern him even though he worried for Ginny and her family a bit. And even more for Severus.
He remembered the Weasleys' worries about their missing brother Percy. Poor Ginny had cried into his robes when she'd first heard. Maybe he could at least find out something about his fate and tell Ginny whether her worries were founded or not?
"What about those hostages that were abducted after the attack on those dislocated offices in Wales?" Draco asked cautiously. "Has the Lord still got them, or were they all killed?"
It was a stupid coincidence that Percy had been sent to inspect those offices on the very day the death eaters had snuck in and an even bigger coincidence that he was one of the hostages taken.
"That was while I was out of action due to that stupid trial, Draco." Lucius reminded him. "But from what I've heard they were most likely killed except for the one undercover agent that let our people in. The ministry has already found the bodies of two of them, but they were well hidden. I believe our Lord is hoping that they won't find all of them, and will assume that the agent was killed as well, or at the very least remain unaware of the identity of said agent."
"Poor Ginny." slipped out of Draco's mouth before he could stop himself.
"What was that?"
"One of Ginny's brothers, Percy, was among those hostages. She's still hoping that he is alive." Draco explained.
"Well, that's what happens to Muggle loving fools like that." Lucius shrugged. "You should remind her of her pureblood status from time to time. She's probably too young to be turned away from the nonsense her parents taught her entirely, so don't try to recruit her just yet, but you can sow some doubt in her mind."
Draco gaped at his father. "Recruit her? Ginny?"
"Of course." Lucius smiled. "Our Lord has heard of your interest in her and has expressed his hopes that you might be able to save the poor misguided child. The Weasleys are of excellent blood, after all, and it would be a pity to lose the family entirely once we've taken over. Your Ginny may not be able to carry on the name, but at least the blood wouldn't be lost."
Well, that was at least one piece of good news. Percy might be dead, but if Voldemort hoped that Draco would be able to turn her, that meant that Ginny wasn't in danger of sharing her brother's fate.
-
-
They arrived at Hogsmeade in he middle of the night and Draco already feared that they'd have to spend the night at the Three Broomsticks, but when they got off Professor Hagrid was waiting for them on he platform.
"Ah, good evening, Professor Malfoy!" the half giant greeted his father while grabbing the trunks they were carrying away from them and tossing them into the horseless carriage that was waiting behind them. "Mr. Malfoy."
Lucius shot the Care for Magical Creatures teacher an angry glare and Draco wondered whether Hagrid had known how much being addressed as Professor would annoy his father. Then again he probably wasn't witty enough to think that far. To him, most likely, if Lucius was here to teach, he was to be addressed as Professor.
They climbed into the carriage along with Hagrid and soon arrived in front of the castle. Draco was much too tired by now to complain about how little room he had boxed into a carriage with Hagrid, the trunks and his father.
Hagrid led them straight into the castle and up to the headmaster's office.
"Gum drops." he informed the Gargoyle and gestured for the Malfoys to go up the moving stairs. "I'll tend to your luggage while you talk to the headmaster. You'll find it in your rooms later."
Draco just yawned and trudged after his father who apparently wasn't satisfied with letting the stairs carry him up.
-
-
To Lucius's surprise not only the headmaster was awaiting them, but also that old bat McGonagall and a very small black haired boy that looked somehow familiar and held, of all things, a green hedgehog in his arms.
"Severus!" Draco squealed happily and dashed past his father to hug his friend.
Lucius glared at the boys. What undisciplined behaviour! How could Dumbledore smile and twinkle at the boys' misbehaviour!
"Draco!" bellowed Lucius, but the boy didn't even seem to hear him.
"Ah, Lucius, let him be. He hasn't seen Severus all summer after all." Dumbledore commented.
"I thought you found that antidote?" Lucius hissed. "In fact I believe, I saw Snape only a few weeks ago."
"Saw whom?" Severus asked curiously.
"Somebody you don't know, Severus." Albus smiled kindly at the boy. "Why don't you and Draco go to your dorm now. It's late and I'm sure you have more interesting things to talk about than class schedules and Potions texts."
Severus nodded eagerly. "Come on Draco. There's something you absolutely have to see."
Slightly confused Draco followed Severus out the door and down the stairs.
"What's going on?" Draco finally asked when they reached the hallway outside. "Not that I'm not glad to have you back, but aren't you supposed to be an adult now?"
"Actually, I am." Severus grinned and in right in front of Draco's eyes transformed into his adult self.
Draco stared.
"I'm not supposed to be seen like this, though." Severus added and turned back into the small fifteen year old boy. "It's a variation of the animagus transformation Professor McGonagall and I developed over the summer."
"So you are your own animagus form?"
"Yes, in a way." Severus grinned. "This way I can be both boy and adult."
"But why hire father as Potions teacher and why can't you be seen as an adult?"
"Because Albus is just now telling your father that my antidote wasn't permanent and that he will have to stay here as a teacher until a permanent one has been found." Severus whispered and dragged Draco on in the direction of the dungeons. "Oh, and I'm also supposed to not remember anything from my adult life."
Draco blinked. "All that just to play a prank on Father?"
"No, no, of course not." Severus shook his head. "I'm on a spying mission, a secret agent."
"Um ... if it's so secret why are you telling me?"
"Because I want you to be my assistant."
"Will I get to be a secret agent too then?" Draco asked. That sounded heroic and exciting.
"Of course." Severus confirmed.
"Okay," Draco agreed. "What do we do as secret agents?"
"We are looking for another secret agent among the student body and it's not a game, Draco. Voldemort has hired somebody to spy on Potter and we have to find out who it is before he can cause serious harm."
"That's easy enough." Draco almost laughed. "It has to be Father. He told me he had a special mission from Voldemort in the school."
"No, Voldemort was gloating about his new agent long before Albus hired Lucius. We're hoping that the traitor will use Lucius as a contact or come to him for advice, though. The traitor himself has to be a student."
"A student?" Draco hesitated. "Any of the students in this school? Do you realise just how many suspects that are?"
"I have a list of the most suspect students in the dorm. For now we're going on the assumption that it's somebody who has already shown interest in the dark arts or anti Muggle prejudice and is either in our year or on the Quidditch team. Probably a Slytherin as Voldemort trusts them most. My main suspects are Zabini and LaCroix."
"So we just watch whether they have an unusual lot of contact with Father?"
"We watch them for any kind of suspicious behaviour." Severus amended. "Everybody else that's acting strangely as well. And we're going to search some trunks."
"That's your specialty." Draco grinned. "I never can get past the locking charms."
"I might need you to stand guard, though. We can't risk getting caught by the traitor."
"You risked it last year." Draco pointed out.
"Back then I was only risking detention. This agent might do something worse, if he starts suspecting us. That's why nobody except the two of us can know there is a traitor at all. Some of the teachers know as well, but for now it's probably best, if you treat them all as if they had no idea."
"Hedgehog." Severus told the door to the Slytherin common room moments later and it sprang open to let them in.
"Everybody's going to know you picked that password." Draco pointed out.
"So? I was here first. Albus let me choose." Severus explained. "That's hardly suspicious."
The common room looked strangely empty without the usual groups of students inside, but Severus didn't even seem to notice. He walked straight up to their dorm, which already was labelled 'sixth years' and dug a piece of parchment out of his trunk.
"Here that's the list. Try to memorise as many names as possible, but don't copy it. It's rather suspicious, if the traitor finds it and with a second list we'd run twice the risk."
Draco took the parchment and studied it intently. "That's quite a lot of names."
"That's everybody the heads of house suspect might be at risk of going dark. All years except the first were included."
"Over half of them are Slytherins." Draco said accusingly.
"Voldemort's preferred house. Lots of death eater parents, lots of resentment against Gryffindor." Severus explained.
"Who'll be our head now?" Draco asked suddenly worried. "Father?"
"Of course not." Severus snorted.
"Dumbledore again?" Draco said with a small frown.
"No, that was a bad idea the first time around. The head has to be a Slytherin."
"But who other than Father and you was a Slytherin?" Draco sighed. "There's nobody left."
Severus grinned. "Lupin." he announced.
"The werewolf?"
"We'll manage without a head for full moons, don't you think?"
"Well, if you say so." Draco looked a little worried as he returned his attention to the list. "Who made this, you or Lupin?"
"I did. I've known most of them longer than he has and I've been watching them for these signs all that time."
"LaCroix Stephan." Draco read out. "Davids Benjamin, Bardon Lionel. Are you suspecting the whole Quidditch team?"
"No, you're cleared as well. As are Gregory and Vincent. The dark lord wouldn't trust them with any delicate work." Severus answered calmly. "All three are from death eater families, Draco."
"And here I was hoping we could concentrate on winning the cup this year. Now I'll be watching my team-mates for hidden attacks against Potter instead of catching the Snitch."
"If our traitor is a Quidditch player, he might well be out to kill Potter directly. You'd be guarding his life."
Draco thought that over. "Why is a Quidditch player more likely to be a killer than another spy?"
"Because it's easier to arrange a death during a Quidditch match to look like an accident. An agent that doesn't have that advantage would most likely be forced to commit an obvious murder. Voldemort is unlikely to risk losing a valuable agent like that. If it isn't a Quidditch player, he'll probably only use him to gather information, or maybe to lure Potter into a trap set by one of his more experienced killers."
"You're assuming that he cares about the fate of his agent."
"He most likely picked the child of a valued and trusted follower. Getting somebody's child killed is one of the best ways to lose somebody's loyalty."
Draco nodded and continued down the list: "Blaise, Pansy, Millicent. Are you sure about the Bulstrodes?"
"No, but it's possible. We'd have a very hard time finding an agent that isn't on our list. All except one of them are innocent in any case." Severus reminded him. "These are mostly just kids that might be at risk, not proven death eaters."
"Both Mattels boys." Draco went on. "And Lionel's little sister as well. Wouldn't the siblings be working as a team?"
"Possible, but then that Voldemort spoke of one agent doesn't necessarily prove there isn't a second."
"You realise you have half of the Slytherin third year on your list?"
"Yes, I don't know them well enough. I only really had their first year to watch them. I didn't pay much attention to the other years last year."
"You didn't list as many second years." Draco remarked.
"They were pretty obvious in their behaviour last year. I think I've got their loyalties figured out."
"Seven Ravenclaws."
"And Flitwick doesn't agree with me on Miranda Deering and Keith Gorl." Severus reported. "I added them anyway, just to be sure."
"Only three Hufflepuffs: Nicodemus Hanson from sixth year, Aemilia Andres from third and James McGregor from second."
"Hufflepuff's an unlikely house to produce traitors. Considering their age only Hanson looks like a worthy candidate. The dark lord isn't as likely to put that much trust into a second year. Sprout was probably a little overzealous, but then that's what we asked of her."
"And two Gryffindors."
"Quintus Palmer from second and Caius Rude from third year." Severus quoted by heart. "McGonagall had a really hard time making her list. She just can't see any of her beloved Gryffindors as traitors. She's probably right too. Most Gryffindors are much too obvious about their feelings to make good secret agents."
"You actually believe all that perfect Gryffindors humbug?" Draco shouted angrily.
"No, but I believe that most of them don't pretend well and the dark lord doesn't like Gryffindors. We're most likely to find our traitor in Slytherin."
"Blaise and Stephan then." Draco agreed with a yawn.
"Yes, we can keep an eye on Benjamin and Lionel while we're watching Stephan, too. And Pansy will be around Blaise most of the time."
"And Millicent around Pansy the rest of the time." Draco grinned. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.
-
-
Almost all the teachers had already returned from their holidays by the time the Malfoys arrived and over the last week before the school year started the head table filled up more and more at meals.
The entire staff except for Sybil Trelawney was present at breakfast when the headmaster announced to the two boys: "I've got great news for you."
"What's that?" Draco asked cautiously.
"You've found my antidote?" Severus asked hopefully. The announcement that the antidote had been found would be code for 'your mission has been called off' of course. The only reason that might happen however was if the traitor had already been found. Severus considered that to be most unlikely.
"No, I'm afraid we're still working on that." Albus told him predictably. "What I was referring to was that I got an owl from Sebastian Nott this morning. His son Theodore is returning to Hogwarts this year."
Theodore Nott had been one of Draco's classmates for four years, but had been taken out of school unexpectedly at the beginning of fifth year. All Severus knew about it was that Sebastian had claimed that his wife was very sick and wanted her son near in case she shouldn't live to see him in the summer holidays. Eleanor Nott, however had seemed perfectly fine when he'd met her in Diagon Alley only a week later. Of course she'd always been very pale and Severus didn't know what exactly was supposed to be wrong with her.
Still he'd assumed that Theodore Nott had left Hogwarts on Voldemort's orders. There was another one for their list.
"Will he be able to catch up to sixth year with all that he missed?" Draco asked the headmaster trying to make conversation.
"He had a private tutor and both his father and grandfather taught him as well." Dumbledore answered. "He shouldn't be too far behind, I suppose."
"Blaise will be happy about that." Severus said with a slight nod that told Albus that he'd understood the message. "He's always liked Theodore." 'Yes Albus, that is another prime suspect.'
"Watching Theodore might be even more important than watching Blaise." he warned Draco once they were back in their dorm where they couldn't be overheard even by portraits. "We don't know what he's been up to over that last year, his father's a death eater and he is practically a new student again. Blaise could have worked for the dark lord last year as well. Theodore however would indeed be a new agent."
"He's always been rather quiet and shy, though." Draco pointed out.
"Which means that he's rarely noticed. That's a bonus for a spy. Blaise is isolated from the rest of the dorm at the moment. He'll try to stick together with Theodore."
"Should we try to stop that? Theodore likes me. We could probably draw him into our group."
"He'd still feel like the third wheel after a while. He'll feel that we've got secrets from him and are much tighter than we'd let him get to us. The same goes for Gregory and Vincent. The group's split and turned into pairs now and with me here again there's no way we can pull it back together. Theodore will naturally be drawn to Blaise after a while. That will mean that we can cover them both most of the time, though."
"Theodore is our prime suspect then?"
"Yes, lets try and be friendly with him at least. Blaise hates us, but there might be a chance that Theodore won't follow his example, if we don't give him a reason."
-
-
Severus and Draco were already seated at their house table when the first coaches arrived. They'd chosen the two best seats right at the head of the table, of course. Severus had decided that it wasn't likely any of the seventh years would challenge them and Draco hadn't even mentioned their own year.
Greenie as usual had the run of the table and was just inspecting a candle holder when a sudden wave of noise from outside announced the arrival of the students.
The first Slytherins to come in were of the lower years and only stared at Severus for a moment, then whispered amongst themselves. That situation however changed when fellow sixth years Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe approached the table.
"Vince." Gregory said in a small voice that was quite unusual for the large bully. "Vince, he's back."
"He's back?" Vincent repeated slightly confused. "Who's . . . Oh." he trailed off at the sight of Severus and his hedgehog.
The two stopped only a few steps from the door causing several other students to curse and yell at them for blocking the way.
"Lets go greet them." Vincent decided finally.
One did well to stay on Severus' good side. That was a lesson they both had learned the hard way last year. The problem was most of the time Severus didn't seem to have a good side. When he wasn't in his icy mood beating up people, which was supposed to be Vincent and Gregory's job, he was usually up to mischief, playing pranks on the very worst people, getting everybody detention and stealing.
The only one whom he sometimes spared was his best friend, Draco. At least Draco could be considered something like a friend of Gregory and Vincent so maybe, if they played nice they'd at least be spared the effects of icy Severus.
"Hi guys!" Vincent greeted Draco and Severus as he and Gregory took the seats right next to Draco. A little distance from Severus had proved an advantage during the food fights last year. "How was your summer?"
"Oh great." Draco enthused. "Until Father called me back to England early, that is. I think I might want to study dragons after I graduate. Romania is wonderful. I have to show you the photos when we get to the dorm."
"There isn't much to see of Romania in them." Severus, who'd already suffered through several photo sessions since Draco had returned, warned them. "Half of them are of Dragons and the other half's of Ginny Weasley."
"Yeah, beautiful." Draco declared.
"Ah." made Gregory. Ginny Weasley was the reason Draco sometimes stared into space and didn't answer when talked to. Gregory was very proud to have figured that out with only a little help from Severus last year.
Vincent rolled his eyes, but didn't really mind the idea of having to look at Draco's Ginny photos. The girl was pretty enough and, if looking at some photos was the only price he had to pay for not getting beaten up by Severus and occasionally getting some of Draco's sweets, that was fine with him.
"Severus! Hey, Severus!" a very excited voice called from near the door and a slightly clumsy looking boy stumbled toward them.
"Hi, Neville." Severus smiled at the only Gryffindor he could actually stand. "Good to see you again."
Neville, the once so timid boy, actually pulled out the chair next to Severus and sat down at the table of his rival house. Some fifth and seventh years gaped at him, but nobody challenged him for that seat. Who wanted to sit next to Severus after all?
"Listen, Severus." Neville whispered excitedly. "I brought a whole stack of Filibuster fireworks and some mouse traps. Gran unfortunately wouldn't let me have any stink bombs and it's hard to sneak things past her, but we can buy some on the first Hogsmeade weekend. What do you think of playing some pranks on McGonagall?"
The Slytherins exchanged a few very meaningful looks.
"Come on guys. I know you don't like her and we won't do any actual harm." Neville pushed.
"I was actually thinking of targeting Professor Malfoy this year." Severus confided so softly that even Gregory who was sitting only thee places away didn't hear.
Vincent and Neville however had heard.
"Professor Malfoy?" Neville repeated while Vincent just gaped. "Professor MALFOY? I thought the subject was supposed to be Defence against the dark arts, not the dark arts."
"And it still is." Draco assured him. "It seems Lupin has finally managed to break the streak and we're having the same DADA teacher a second year in a row. Father's here to teach Potions."
"Oh, oh that's excellent. I'm going to blow up some cauldrons. I won't even need any help with that." Neville decided.
Gregory grinned and nodded in confirmation. Neville hadn't needed his help blowing up lots of cauldrons when they'd been partnered in Potions last year. "That was fun."
Unfortunately it had also all been unintentional, but Severus had always been able to prevent any really dangerous explosions. It was actually less straining for him to let the smaller ones happen. Teaching their Potions class was a really tough job even for an experienced teacher.
"Lucius will hate every minute of it." he smirked.
"And he can't run away." added Draco with an identical smirk. "He'd go to Azkaban for two weeks, if he'd quit before Dumbledore lets him go."
Blaise and Pansy wandered to the table arm in arm and sneered at the group.
"Ah Blaise, taking good care of my ex, I see." Draco greeted them.
"Still dating the poor Gryffindor trash, Malfoy?" Blaise returned just as nicely.
"At least Ginny's good looking." Draco shrugged. "And I don't need to marry into money, you know."
Blaise glared while Pansy turned her nose up, but neither said anything. Instead they sat quietly next to Neville. Draco was surprised at their choice of seats at first, until he realised that Millicent Bulstrode had picked the chair next to Gregory and that arrangement allowed Pansy to sit next to her boyfriend and opposite from her best friend.
Draco would probably have been displeased with the seating order under different circumstances, but considering that Blaise, Pansy and Millicent were all among their prime suspects it only made it easier to watch them unobtrusively.
A quick glance up and down the table revealed that the seventh years had retreated to the other end of the table, which was less convenient. Draco could see Stephan LaCroix clearly from where he sat, but there was no chance to hear what he was saying unless he shouted it out to the whole hall.
"What the hell are you doing in my chair, Gryffinscum?" a clod voice sneered at their end of the table and drew Draco from his thoughts.
He looked up. "Hi, Theodore. We already thought we wouldn't see you again."
"I'm keeping the bed in the corner." Severus informed Theodore ignoring his comment to Neville as well.
Neville meanwhile was regarding the new arrival carefully. "Is he a friend of yours?" he finally asked Severus.
"Yes, he's our friend." Draco declared hastily seeing the cold stare Severus was giving the newcomer. Of course, Theodore had never met Severus. He only knew Professor Snape.
"In that case, I'll let him have the seat." Neville declared. "I should probably get to my table anyway."
"Watch your back." Gregory advised him as he got up to leave. "Gryffindors are mean."
"And they probably don't like to see you hanging out with us." Severus added. "Weasley is giving us dark looks already."
"Ron's been looking dark ever since he arrived at Kings Cross this morning." Neville reported calmly. "It's because his brother Percy's missing, I think. He didn't even want to talk with anyone, but at least he's sticking close to Harry and not isolating himself. Well, see you later, guys."
"You're talking to the Gryffindor class clown?" Vincent asked Gregory surprised.
"He's not so bad." Gregory said. "Even let me help with the potion when we were partners."
"And he's a fine partner at pranks." Draco added since Severus was still having a staring match with Theodore. "Neville's alright for a Gryffindor."
"I see, standards around here have sadly degenerated in the time I was gone." Theodore remarked finally sitting down.
"You missed a lot." Vincent informed him. "Things have changed."
"And not for the better." Theodore insisted. "So we're hanging out with Gryffindors and who's the child?" he asked nodding towards Severus.
"My name's Severus. And I'm older than you are." Severus remarked icily.
The others burst into laughter.
"Honest." Draco confirmed. "He's sixteen, just a little small."
"A little?" Theodore snorted. "Watch it, Tiny. I might not be the biggest around here, but I'm still big enough to beat you to a pulp."
Severus cocked his head at him and kept up his icy stare.
"Uh ... Theodore?" Blaise asked hesitantly.
"What?"
"We ... uh ... tried that last year."
"So?"
"He won." Gregory declared pointing at Severus.
"Against who?" Theodore asked. "Blaise?"
"Well, we can handle him as a team." Vincent said proudly.
"If you get help from the girls." Severus reminded him. "Can't keep track of that many opponents, you know. They managed to take me from behind." he added to Theodore.
"You're pulling my leg, right?" Theodore asked looking around the group from face to face slowly.
Severus maintained his icy look, Draco smirked proudly, Vincent shook his head sadly, Gregory stared down and Blaise was glaring at Draco for no reason Theodore could find.
At that moment the doors opened and Professor McGonagall led out the first years. The hall fell silent as the sorting hat sang its newest song. McGonagall brought out her list of names.
"When I read out your name sit on the stool and the hat will sort you." the teacher announced she looked down at her list and ...
The hall suddenly went dark. Only a few stars twinkled down from the enchanted ceiling.
At first there was complete silence in the hall broken only by a few startled gasps. Then people started screaming and the Slytherins closest to their end of the table could hear Severus and Draco's suppressed laughter.
From the other tables loud bangs and clashes and occasional shouts of pain could be heard as Gryffindors scrambled to their feet to meet an unseen attacker while the Hufflepuffs were trying to take cover under their table.
"Silence!" roared the angry voice of Lucius Malfoy from the head table, but nobody obeyed.
"Lumos." came the headmaster's voice much more softly.
As the light from his wand lit up part of the hall people began to calm down and light their own wands.
"Severus." the headmaster said once order had been restored.
"Sorry?" answered Severus not sounding sorry at all.
"Severus!" Albus said sternly.
"It's just a little extinguishing spell." Severus volunteered.
"SEVERUS!" Albus actually managed to surpass Lucius' volume.
The replacement Potions teacher looked up at the standing headmaster with new respect.
"What?" Severus asked unimpressed.
"Relight them!" Dumbledore ordered.
"Can't." Severus said. "I told you it was a simple extinguishing charm, Albus. It was preplanted and set to a trigger spell, but it can't be reversed once it's been used. Each candle will have to be relit individually."
Albus sighed. "Very well, ten points from Slytherin. Everybody, please relight the candles."
With that many people in the great hall it didn't take long until the hall was once again fully lit and the sorting could continue as usual.
Theodore gave Severus a sideward glance. "You called the headmaster Albus?"
"He calls me Severus." Severus returned calmly.
"Theodore, there's something I think I ought to tell you about Severus as soon as we're alone." Blaise whispered into his friend's ear.
"What?" Theodore asked him confused.
"He's not what you think he is." Blaise said ominously, but insisted that he'd only explain that comment once they were alone.
The sorting passed without further incidences and soon the food appeared. Theodore filled his plate with all sorts of meats. His mother's diet didn't allow her to eat meat, so he'd not gotten much during the last year.
"Sniff!"
Had his plate just made that sound? Theodore's eyes wandered away from the pile of chicken legs he'd been going for and down to his food.
There was a small green something there just taking a bite out of his steak!
"Hey! Whatever is that thing?" escaped him before he could think of anything intelligent to say.
"Oh no, it's that blasted hedgehog again!" Blaise exclaimed at the sight.
"Hedgehog?" Well, now that he thought about it the thing did have a slight resemblance to a hedgehog. Only the colour was wrong.
"That's my familiar." Severus informed him calmly. "Greenie."
"What's he doing on my plate?" Theodore complained still a little confused about the creature. Was it some sort of magical creature he'd never heard about?
"He likes steak." Severus told him around a bite of vegetables. "I don't."
"Well, I don't like hedgehogs in my food." Theodore informed him.
"Then give him some stake on a saucer." Severus advised. "He doesn't insist on eating from a full sized plate."
"Ginny's hardly eating anything." Draco reported suddenly. "She's just looking at her brother all the time."
"Neville said he wasn't dealing with Percy's disappearance well." Severus interpreted. "She must be worried."
Draco nodded. "She only returned from Romania two days ago and probably didn't see the weasel much since."
"They'll get over it." Severus decided after a moment. "There's nothing else they can do."
"It'd probably be easier for them, if the body had been found already." Draco said. "Ginny wrote that deep down they're all still hoping that Percy might still be alive. Father told me the hostages were all dead, but I can't just go and tell them. I mean Ginny wouldn't tell on Father, but ..."
"You can't tell her." Severus said immediately. "If you tell her and she tells her family, they'll send the aurors after your father. And if she doesn't tell her family she'll have to watch them hope and wonder. That would hurt her more than not knowing, I think."
"Yes, she does love her family a lot, even the idiot weasel." Draco sighed.
"You should have picked a girl from the right side." Blaise sneered at him. "Then you wouldn't have this problem."
"Ah, but Ginny's much prettier." Draco smirked looking past Blaise at Pansy. "And what makes you so sure she'll be on the wrong side in the end."
"You think you can turn her?" Severus threw in quickly, before Blaise or Theodore could start to wonder whether there was a double meaning to Draco's words.
"Father told me that the dark lord himself believes that I can." Draco reported truthfully. "Of course right now would be a really bad time to try. As long as the loss of her brother's still fresh she's not likely to give changing sides much consideration."
"We should not talk of that here." Theodore said suddenly. "Too many ears."
They fell silent and returned to their food, but Severus secretly kept as watchful an eye on Theodore as Draco had on Ginny. Yes, that one had the intelligence needed to be a good spy.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
JerseyPike - Well, that's Sybil for you. ... Corvus is Sevi's raven that I borrowed from JLM's Slytherin Rising. Munin's father, you could say.
Mystical Witch - Sorry, but RD is over. There'll be a sequel, but it'll be set a while after Draco's school days. Hogwarts Soccer Club against Rakers at that point in time? The Rakers would have won without trying. It took years for Hogwarts to build up a team that can stand up to the West Hogsmeade players who usually start training so much younger.
Mia - No, the potion was for Sevi. He doesn't have the talent to do the animagus transformation, so he had to use some tricks and Minerva's help. Greenie was always here working behind the scenes rather than on stage. He's my partner in almost all my writings (The only exceptions are when he doesn't want to. Then I'm forced to work with Starscream ...)
Ezmerelda - It doesn't seem to me that Harry and Neville are really friends. Well, maybe there's a bit of a friendship starting in OOTP, but before then they seem just classmates to me. Harry wasn't the one who hurt Neville and he had other problems to worry about. Over his Dursley problems he simply forgot about Neville.
Platinum - The decision to write a sequel to MNS is actually two years old. I just wanted to write the tree other fics I'd already been planning before then first. RD got so long however that I have pushed the third back again for now. ... Glad to see you come back for this, thank you!
dstrbd child - Sorry to disappoint you, but RD is over. I'm working on this fic, which I've been planning for two years, right now. Interesting. Yes, that is all I'm going to say about traitor suggestions right now. I just can't give it away too soon. (I probably will be too obvious anyway. I've never tried Mystery before.)
Arily - *blush* Thanks!
Tien Riu - Hey, I promised this sequel and I usually keep my promised. Runaway Dragon just got so long that the wait became two years. . . . The Last Lion. Oh well, it's a fic that makes me a little unhappy. It was born from a sudden plot hedgehog that just wouldn't leave me alone and I absolutely had to finish RD, finally write this and get to some of my other plot hedgehogs. So LL was written rather hastily as a fast one shot. The reviews I got however all called for me to continue it. At first I didn't see any possible direction to take it, but then found three. What I didn't find was the time or absolute irresistible need to do it. Instead I turned it into a challenge for my readers. Nobody answered. I conclude that the need for a continuation can't be that great, if nobody's driven to write one. My other projects are a need, at least to me. Interesting theory. One of my own possible scenarios was that another school had opened up that attracted particularly the Gryffindor types. Another is that Gryffindor was somehow in disgrace and nobody wanted to go there anymore. The hat doesn't appear to sort students into a house they absolutely don't want. Again another scenario is a malfunction of the sorting hat, maybe even sabotage . . . If you want to read all my suggestions, the challenge's in an A/N of one of my Runaway Dragon chapters.
Leevee of Team Socket - Oh, no no no! It was meant for Sevi! He can't transfigure well enough to attempt the animagus transfiguration. ... Why should Greenie need to become an animagus? ... Don't worry, you'll have lots of chapters to make up your mind about the traitor. I'll do my best to introduce lots and lots of suspects. In this I already started to give some names. I'll be adding info on their owners as the story continues.
stargurl - Interesting. What makes you think so? ... I'll try to update weekly, but i can't promise anything.
Loopily - Thanks. ... How you tell a story is no different in English than it is in German. There is a bit of a difficulty in writing in your second language, of course, but that's mostly a matter of vocabulary. The how, however is a matter of practise mostly, which also makes it a matter of age. FF.net s a starting point for many young writers who are improving with every story they write. Give the ones you find not understandable now a year or two and, if they stick around, see how they've changed then.
Pam Briggs - Ah, first one that guessed the project right. Well done! ... I was considering naming chapter 1 a prologue instead, actually, and that's where the cliffhanger comes in. It's meant to be a bit of a teaser.
MaNuElItO - Your English's good, really. Keep going to that school and someday you might be the one who gets a review from me. ... So, did chapter two meet your expectations?
Manda - Thanks! ... Yes, it's been a long time since I first promised you all the sequel, but RD just kept getting bigger and bigger and I didn't want to drop it (which I probably would have, if I'd started working on this while I was still writing it. I have to do these one story at a time.)
Madame Moony - Thanks. ... Hm . . . two Sevi's? That's an interesting idea, but one I never thought about. (My original idea was for Sevi to pose as his own nephew while everybody was told the real Sevi was in the hospital wing and somebody (perhaps Albus) posing as one of the Sevis at one time so Luci could see them both together. The problem with that is that they'd have to alter the memories of the entire student body. So after about a year of planning that original scheme I came up with this one.
TatraMegami - Well, Greenie reminded me just in time that good old Corvus should make an appearance and having Albus lie in the sun was just too good to miss. (PegaPony and I used to joke about it happening in one of her fics, so I just had to put it in.) . . . Sybil and Greenie. Well, I have a friend who's so scared of rats that she once screamed 'rat' at the sight of a wild hamster . . .
Whisper - Ah, but I always said Greenie would return, didn't I? . . . I know I kept you all waiting much too long, though and I'm sorry.
horsehuminum - Imperius Curse? Now that one opens up a whole number of new suspects. Under the Imperius Curse everyone could have done it! . . . I'll give you that one hint, though. The false Moody trained all his students to resist the Imperius. Voldemort doesn't want to risk his victim breaking free at the wrong moment.
Midnight Tiger - Of course Sevi's serious: This is about fighting Voldemort, protecting the school and protecting Draco. . . . I'm not saying anything about the traitor's identity for fear of giving away the Mystery, but I will tell you one thing: There are no transfer students in this fic.
Iremione - Ups! Sorry, I thought you'd know since I gave the date at the end of RD. Psst! Don't tell! We'll see how many guess what when and whether and when they change their minds. I've still got a few people to introduce and a few incidents to happen that will change the whole picture.
zippy zany - Have I ever abandoned a fic that I promised to finish? Unless both ff.net and skyhawke break down permanently, or kick me off, or I lose internet access, I will finish this fic. (I'd probably finish it even in those cases, but wouldn't have a way to post it, I suppose.)
Grrrinning Golden Retriever - I'm afraid that was the last chapter of RD. I had to end it sometime. (The original estimate was that I'd write about 19 chapters ...) Well, I can't believe that there re only three schools in Europe (Hey, can't expect all the kids of Europe to speak at least one of those three schools' languages fluently enough to follow classes at age 11.) So there have to be more schools.
-
-
-
-
A/N: So what do you think of Lucius's punishment? And how will he get on with Sevi? Any guesses at the identity of the traitor? (Those last ones once again will be read with great interest, but not answered, yet.) Please R/R.
-
-
Next: Sevi gets information from Remus, Draco introduces himself to his father and Lucius tries to read the paper in peace.
Disclaimer 2 - Draco drawing dragons belongs to PikaCheeka. Sorry I forgot to mention that in the first chapter. I sort of adopted the idea subconsciously.
Disclaimer 3 - Severus' raven belongs to J. L. Matthews. I just borrowed him because he's such a perfect pet for Sevi and promise to return him unharmed.
The catar however are all mine and I love them so please don't use without asking me first.
-
-
A/N - Well, well, well, we haven't even met any suspects, yet and some of you already have their ideas about who the traitor might be. For those still undecided there are a few more names of suspects in this one.
-
-
Double O Seve . . . rus
-
-
Chapter 2: Back to School
-
-
Draco Malfoy frowned at his father as he met him at Kings Cross station. He had just been called back from his holiday early. An absolutely great holiday with his girlfriend! At a facility for the study of dragons at that. Now instead of getting to see his favourite baby dragon grow he had to return to school. Without Ginny!
Lucius Malfoy frowned back. He was in an even worse mood than his son. Not only was he forced to get Draco from a Muggle train station, no he even had to meet him on a Muggle platform. His son riding a Muggle train! Not to mention the Muggle plane that had returned him to England.
Of course that was what you got from dating a Muggle loving Weasley brat, but better Virginia Weasley than that Mudblood Hermione Granger Draco had had his eyes on for a bit. At least Weasley was a pureblood, had acceptable looks and as far as he knew was capable at wand work.
The Dark Lord had even said that the match wasn't quite that bad. True, it had stopped him from using Draco in his plans for the foreseeable future, if the boy continued dating a Weasley, but in a few years it would serve as a good cover for the ministry, if Draco married a witch from a known light family. At least that's what Licius assumed the Dark Lord's reasons for accepting the match were. Hell, Voldemort had actually spoken of the possibility of a marriage! Maybe he was hoping to indirectly conserve the Weasley bloodline by mixing them with the Malfoys?
Lucius Malfoy could live with all those little indignities. He could take having to wear Muggle clothes at the station. He could even accept the fact that Draco didn't seem to mind being surrounded by all those Muggles.
What he could not take however was the indignity of what lay before him now. Returning to his old school was acceptable if he returned for a visit, but returning there to work? A Malfoy that had to work, that was the greatest indignity ever. And then starting tomorrow he'd be working for Albus Dumbledore at that!
Lucius just nodded at his son without a word, turned and walked off the platform expecting Draco to follow him.
Draco sighed and struggled with his heavy suitcase. The levitation charm Charlie Weasley had cast on it back in Romania had had to be taken off before it was weighed at the Muggle airport. It hadn't been a problem at the time, because the Muggles had loaded and unloaded it from there, but then he'd had to drag it to the train and now it looked like he had to drag it once again.
Then again, what had he expected his father to do? He couldn't cast a spell in front of all these Muggles. The poor things would be frightened, Charlie had explained to him, just like the baby dragons had been frightened at the sight of their father.
He'd never thought of things from the Weasley's perspective before. The way they saw it Muggles were poor helpless creatures that required the wizards' protection and it was their moral duty to provide it for them. Instead of being ashamed Charlie and Ginny were proud of their father's work in the lowly Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department of the ministry. He hadn't chosen it because of the money, though the Weasleys did need it. He'd chosen it, because it gave him a chance to fulfil that duty.
With Lucius striding ahead proudly and Draco struggling to drag his luggage after him as fast as he could so he wouldn't lose him in the crowd they finally arrived on the magical platform 9 3/4. Draco breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. His father strode on down the platform apparently determined to ride in the very first coach.
What Draco wouldn't have given to have one of the trolleys they usually used when returning to school, but he'd have had to go back to look for one as there weren't any abandoned ones standing around the platform and if he did that he'd definitely lose Lucius. Instead he just continued stumbling along half carrying and half dragging his suitcase muttering under his breath about the fact that he seemed to be the only person in the whole station whose suitcase didn't have wheels.
Lucius did indeed keep going until he reached the very first coach stepped into the door and waited until Draco finally caught up. With an annoyed look he held out his hand demandingly and Draco obediently handed over his suitcase. After all his father was blocking the door and he couldn't get in.
A small part of him wondered what he'd do, if the driver decided that he wasn't getting in and closed the doors now. Even his money was in that suitcase. He wouldn't even be able to buy a ticket for the next train nor did he have anywhere to stay here in London.
Luckily the train didn't start until about a second after he'd climbed in. He wondered how long after their scheduled departure time it actually was, but his father hadn't given him the time. In fact Draco hadn't even known that they would go on to Hogwarts right after he'd arrived.
"Father?" he hazarded a question once they had settled into their compartment. "Why are you taking me to school early? Is term starting early this year? Then why isn't Ginny going back, yet?"
"I'm not taking you to school." Lucius grumbled. "You are accompanying me."
Draco blinked. "Why would you go to Hogwarts, Father?"
"You know that somebody framed me for extortion and performing magic in front of Muggles, don't you?" Lucius hissed.
"Yes, Father." Draco didn't dare mention that he'd assumed that his father was very much guilty of the crime until now. He still wasn't sure he wasn't just because he'd said so.
"And that I was sentenced to perform some kind of social service by the Wizengamot?"
"Yes, Father."
"Well, dear old Albus Dumbledore, who came up with that very idea for my punishment also had an excellent suggestion where and how I might perform that service." Lucius continued sarcastically. "He is apparently in need of a temporary replacement for his Potions teacher. Just how temporary he didn't say."
Draco felt a sudden wave of dread. "Why? What's wrong with Professor Snape?"
"I don't really know, but Dumbledore told me that I was free to go as soon as he was able to teach again."
"And the Lord?" Draco didn't dare add Dark on a public train and didn't want to add our. "What did he have to say about it all?"
Lucius sighed. "He has a job for me to perform at Hogwarts, said it fit his plans perfectly, as if Dumbledore were intentionally playing into his hands."
"What kind of job?" Draco asked eagerly.
"That, Draco, is a secret that concerns only those involved." Lucius declared calmly.
Draco nodded obediently. It didn't really concern him even though he worried for Ginny and her family a bit. And even more for Severus.
He remembered the Weasleys' worries about their missing brother Percy. Poor Ginny had cried into his robes when she'd first heard. Maybe he could at least find out something about his fate and tell Ginny whether her worries were founded or not?
"What about those hostages that were abducted after the attack on those dislocated offices in Wales?" Draco asked cautiously. "Has the Lord still got them, or were they all killed?"
It was a stupid coincidence that Percy had been sent to inspect those offices on the very day the death eaters had snuck in and an even bigger coincidence that he was one of the hostages taken.
"That was while I was out of action due to that stupid trial, Draco." Lucius reminded him. "But from what I've heard they were most likely killed except for the one undercover agent that let our people in. The ministry has already found the bodies of two of them, but they were well hidden. I believe our Lord is hoping that they won't find all of them, and will assume that the agent was killed as well, or at the very least remain unaware of the identity of said agent."
"Poor Ginny." slipped out of Draco's mouth before he could stop himself.
"What was that?"
"One of Ginny's brothers, Percy, was among those hostages. She's still hoping that he is alive." Draco explained.
"Well, that's what happens to Muggle loving fools like that." Lucius shrugged. "You should remind her of her pureblood status from time to time. She's probably too young to be turned away from the nonsense her parents taught her entirely, so don't try to recruit her just yet, but you can sow some doubt in her mind."
Draco gaped at his father. "Recruit her? Ginny?"
"Of course." Lucius smiled. "Our Lord has heard of your interest in her and has expressed his hopes that you might be able to save the poor misguided child. The Weasleys are of excellent blood, after all, and it would be a pity to lose the family entirely once we've taken over. Your Ginny may not be able to carry on the name, but at least the blood wouldn't be lost."
Well, that was at least one piece of good news. Percy might be dead, but if Voldemort hoped that Draco would be able to turn her, that meant that Ginny wasn't in danger of sharing her brother's fate.
-
-
They arrived at Hogsmeade in he middle of the night and Draco already feared that they'd have to spend the night at the Three Broomsticks, but when they got off Professor Hagrid was waiting for them on he platform.
"Ah, good evening, Professor Malfoy!" the half giant greeted his father while grabbing the trunks they were carrying away from them and tossing them into the horseless carriage that was waiting behind them. "Mr. Malfoy."
Lucius shot the Care for Magical Creatures teacher an angry glare and Draco wondered whether Hagrid had known how much being addressed as Professor would annoy his father. Then again he probably wasn't witty enough to think that far. To him, most likely, if Lucius was here to teach, he was to be addressed as Professor.
They climbed into the carriage along with Hagrid and soon arrived in front of the castle. Draco was much too tired by now to complain about how little room he had boxed into a carriage with Hagrid, the trunks and his father.
Hagrid led them straight into the castle and up to the headmaster's office.
"Gum drops." he informed the Gargoyle and gestured for the Malfoys to go up the moving stairs. "I'll tend to your luggage while you talk to the headmaster. You'll find it in your rooms later."
Draco just yawned and trudged after his father who apparently wasn't satisfied with letting the stairs carry him up.
-
-
To Lucius's surprise not only the headmaster was awaiting them, but also that old bat McGonagall and a very small black haired boy that looked somehow familiar and held, of all things, a green hedgehog in his arms.
"Severus!" Draco squealed happily and dashed past his father to hug his friend.
Lucius glared at the boys. What undisciplined behaviour! How could Dumbledore smile and twinkle at the boys' misbehaviour!
"Draco!" bellowed Lucius, but the boy didn't even seem to hear him.
"Ah, Lucius, let him be. He hasn't seen Severus all summer after all." Dumbledore commented.
"I thought you found that antidote?" Lucius hissed. "In fact I believe, I saw Snape only a few weeks ago."
"Saw whom?" Severus asked curiously.
"Somebody you don't know, Severus." Albus smiled kindly at the boy. "Why don't you and Draco go to your dorm now. It's late and I'm sure you have more interesting things to talk about than class schedules and Potions texts."
Severus nodded eagerly. "Come on Draco. There's something you absolutely have to see."
Slightly confused Draco followed Severus out the door and down the stairs.
"What's going on?" Draco finally asked when they reached the hallway outside. "Not that I'm not glad to have you back, but aren't you supposed to be an adult now?"
"Actually, I am." Severus grinned and in right in front of Draco's eyes transformed into his adult self.
Draco stared.
"I'm not supposed to be seen like this, though." Severus added and turned back into the small fifteen year old boy. "It's a variation of the animagus transformation Professor McGonagall and I developed over the summer."
"So you are your own animagus form?"
"Yes, in a way." Severus grinned. "This way I can be both boy and adult."
"But why hire father as Potions teacher and why can't you be seen as an adult?"
"Because Albus is just now telling your father that my antidote wasn't permanent and that he will have to stay here as a teacher until a permanent one has been found." Severus whispered and dragged Draco on in the direction of the dungeons. "Oh, and I'm also supposed to not remember anything from my adult life."
Draco blinked. "All that just to play a prank on Father?"
"No, no, of course not." Severus shook his head. "I'm on a spying mission, a secret agent."
"Um ... if it's so secret why are you telling me?"
"Because I want you to be my assistant."
"Will I get to be a secret agent too then?" Draco asked. That sounded heroic and exciting.
"Of course." Severus confirmed.
"Okay," Draco agreed. "What do we do as secret agents?"
"We are looking for another secret agent among the student body and it's not a game, Draco. Voldemort has hired somebody to spy on Potter and we have to find out who it is before he can cause serious harm."
"That's easy enough." Draco almost laughed. "It has to be Father. He told me he had a special mission from Voldemort in the school."
"No, Voldemort was gloating about his new agent long before Albus hired Lucius. We're hoping that the traitor will use Lucius as a contact or come to him for advice, though. The traitor himself has to be a student."
"A student?" Draco hesitated. "Any of the students in this school? Do you realise just how many suspects that are?"
"I have a list of the most suspect students in the dorm. For now we're going on the assumption that it's somebody who has already shown interest in the dark arts or anti Muggle prejudice and is either in our year or on the Quidditch team. Probably a Slytherin as Voldemort trusts them most. My main suspects are Zabini and LaCroix."
"So we just watch whether they have an unusual lot of contact with Father?"
"We watch them for any kind of suspicious behaviour." Severus amended. "Everybody else that's acting strangely as well. And we're going to search some trunks."
"That's your specialty." Draco grinned. "I never can get past the locking charms."
"I might need you to stand guard, though. We can't risk getting caught by the traitor."
"You risked it last year." Draco pointed out.
"Back then I was only risking detention. This agent might do something worse, if he starts suspecting us. That's why nobody except the two of us can know there is a traitor at all. Some of the teachers know as well, but for now it's probably best, if you treat them all as if they had no idea."
"Hedgehog." Severus told the door to the Slytherin common room moments later and it sprang open to let them in.
"Everybody's going to know you picked that password." Draco pointed out.
"So? I was here first. Albus let me choose." Severus explained. "That's hardly suspicious."
The common room looked strangely empty without the usual groups of students inside, but Severus didn't even seem to notice. He walked straight up to their dorm, which already was labelled 'sixth years' and dug a piece of parchment out of his trunk.
"Here that's the list. Try to memorise as many names as possible, but don't copy it. It's rather suspicious, if the traitor finds it and with a second list we'd run twice the risk."
Draco took the parchment and studied it intently. "That's quite a lot of names."
"That's everybody the heads of house suspect might be at risk of going dark. All years except the first were included."
"Over half of them are Slytherins." Draco said accusingly.
"Voldemort's preferred house. Lots of death eater parents, lots of resentment against Gryffindor." Severus explained.
"Who'll be our head now?" Draco asked suddenly worried. "Father?"
"Of course not." Severus snorted.
"Dumbledore again?" Draco said with a small frown.
"No, that was a bad idea the first time around. The head has to be a Slytherin."
"But who other than Father and you was a Slytherin?" Draco sighed. "There's nobody left."
Severus grinned. "Lupin." he announced.
"The werewolf?"
"We'll manage without a head for full moons, don't you think?"
"Well, if you say so." Draco looked a little worried as he returned his attention to the list. "Who made this, you or Lupin?"
"I did. I've known most of them longer than he has and I've been watching them for these signs all that time."
"LaCroix Stephan." Draco read out. "Davids Benjamin, Bardon Lionel. Are you suspecting the whole Quidditch team?"
"No, you're cleared as well. As are Gregory and Vincent. The dark lord wouldn't trust them with any delicate work." Severus answered calmly. "All three are from death eater families, Draco."
"And here I was hoping we could concentrate on winning the cup this year. Now I'll be watching my team-mates for hidden attacks against Potter instead of catching the Snitch."
"If our traitor is a Quidditch player, he might well be out to kill Potter directly. You'd be guarding his life."
Draco thought that over. "Why is a Quidditch player more likely to be a killer than another spy?"
"Because it's easier to arrange a death during a Quidditch match to look like an accident. An agent that doesn't have that advantage would most likely be forced to commit an obvious murder. Voldemort is unlikely to risk losing a valuable agent like that. If it isn't a Quidditch player, he'll probably only use him to gather information, or maybe to lure Potter into a trap set by one of his more experienced killers."
"You're assuming that he cares about the fate of his agent."
"He most likely picked the child of a valued and trusted follower. Getting somebody's child killed is one of the best ways to lose somebody's loyalty."
Draco nodded and continued down the list: "Blaise, Pansy, Millicent. Are you sure about the Bulstrodes?"
"No, but it's possible. We'd have a very hard time finding an agent that isn't on our list. All except one of them are innocent in any case." Severus reminded him. "These are mostly just kids that might be at risk, not proven death eaters."
"Both Mattels boys." Draco went on. "And Lionel's little sister as well. Wouldn't the siblings be working as a team?"
"Possible, but then that Voldemort spoke of one agent doesn't necessarily prove there isn't a second."
"You realise you have half of the Slytherin third year on your list?"
"Yes, I don't know them well enough. I only really had their first year to watch them. I didn't pay much attention to the other years last year."
"You didn't list as many second years." Draco remarked.
"They were pretty obvious in their behaviour last year. I think I've got their loyalties figured out."
"Seven Ravenclaws."
"And Flitwick doesn't agree with me on Miranda Deering and Keith Gorl." Severus reported. "I added them anyway, just to be sure."
"Only three Hufflepuffs: Nicodemus Hanson from sixth year, Aemilia Andres from third and James McGregor from second."
"Hufflepuff's an unlikely house to produce traitors. Considering their age only Hanson looks like a worthy candidate. The dark lord isn't as likely to put that much trust into a second year. Sprout was probably a little overzealous, but then that's what we asked of her."
"And two Gryffindors."
"Quintus Palmer from second and Caius Rude from third year." Severus quoted by heart. "McGonagall had a really hard time making her list. She just can't see any of her beloved Gryffindors as traitors. She's probably right too. Most Gryffindors are much too obvious about their feelings to make good secret agents."
"You actually believe all that perfect Gryffindors humbug?" Draco shouted angrily.
"No, but I believe that most of them don't pretend well and the dark lord doesn't like Gryffindors. We're most likely to find our traitor in Slytherin."
"Blaise and Stephan then." Draco agreed with a yawn.
"Yes, we can keep an eye on Benjamin and Lionel while we're watching Stephan, too. And Pansy will be around Blaise most of the time."
"And Millicent around Pansy the rest of the time." Draco grinned. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.
-
-
Almost all the teachers had already returned from their holidays by the time the Malfoys arrived and over the last week before the school year started the head table filled up more and more at meals.
The entire staff except for Sybil Trelawney was present at breakfast when the headmaster announced to the two boys: "I've got great news for you."
"What's that?" Draco asked cautiously.
"You've found my antidote?" Severus asked hopefully. The announcement that the antidote had been found would be code for 'your mission has been called off' of course. The only reason that might happen however was if the traitor had already been found. Severus considered that to be most unlikely.
"No, I'm afraid we're still working on that." Albus told him predictably. "What I was referring to was that I got an owl from Sebastian Nott this morning. His son Theodore is returning to Hogwarts this year."
Theodore Nott had been one of Draco's classmates for four years, but had been taken out of school unexpectedly at the beginning of fifth year. All Severus knew about it was that Sebastian had claimed that his wife was very sick and wanted her son near in case she shouldn't live to see him in the summer holidays. Eleanor Nott, however had seemed perfectly fine when he'd met her in Diagon Alley only a week later. Of course she'd always been very pale and Severus didn't know what exactly was supposed to be wrong with her.
Still he'd assumed that Theodore Nott had left Hogwarts on Voldemort's orders. There was another one for their list.
"Will he be able to catch up to sixth year with all that he missed?" Draco asked the headmaster trying to make conversation.
"He had a private tutor and both his father and grandfather taught him as well." Dumbledore answered. "He shouldn't be too far behind, I suppose."
"Blaise will be happy about that." Severus said with a slight nod that told Albus that he'd understood the message. "He's always liked Theodore." 'Yes Albus, that is another prime suspect.'
"Watching Theodore might be even more important than watching Blaise." he warned Draco once they were back in their dorm where they couldn't be overheard even by portraits. "We don't know what he's been up to over that last year, his father's a death eater and he is practically a new student again. Blaise could have worked for the dark lord last year as well. Theodore however would indeed be a new agent."
"He's always been rather quiet and shy, though." Draco pointed out.
"Which means that he's rarely noticed. That's a bonus for a spy. Blaise is isolated from the rest of the dorm at the moment. He'll try to stick together with Theodore."
"Should we try to stop that? Theodore likes me. We could probably draw him into our group."
"He'd still feel like the third wheel after a while. He'll feel that we've got secrets from him and are much tighter than we'd let him get to us. The same goes for Gregory and Vincent. The group's split and turned into pairs now and with me here again there's no way we can pull it back together. Theodore will naturally be drawn to Blaise after a while. That will mean that we can cover them both most of the time, though."
"Theodore is our prime suspect then?"
"Yes, lets try and be friendly with him at least. Blaise hates us, but there might be a chance that Theodore won't follow his example, if we don't give him a reason."
-
-
Severus and Draco were already seated at their house table when the first coaches arrived. They'd chosen the two best seats right at the head of the table, of course. Severus had decided that it wasn't likely any of the seventh years would challenge them and Draco hadn't even mentioned their own year.
Greenie as usual had the run of the table and was just inspecting a candle holder when a sudden wave of noise from outside announced the arrival of the students.
The first Slytherins to come in were of the lower years and only stared at Severus for a moment, then whispered amongst themselves. That situation however changed when fellow sixth years Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe approached the table.
"Vince." Gregory said in a small voice that was quite unusual for the large bully. "Vince, he's back."
"He's back?" Vincent repeated slightly confused. "Who's . . . Oh." he trailed off at the sight of Severus and his hedgehog.
The two stopped only a few steps from the door causing several other students to curse and yell at them for blocking the way.
"Lets go greet them." Vincent decided finally.
One did well to stay on Severus' good side. That was a lesson they both had learned the hard way last year. The problem was most of the time Severus didn't seem to have a good side. When he wasn't in his icy mood beating up people, which was supposed to be Vincent and Gregory's job, he was usually up to mischief, playing pranks on the very worst people, getting everybody detention and stealing.
The only one whom he sometimes spared was his best friend, Draco. At least Draco could be considered something like a friend of Gregory and Vincent so maybe, if they played nice they'd at least be spared the effects of icy Severus.
"Hi guys!" Vincent greeted Draco and Severus as he and Gregory took the seats right next to Draco. A little distance from Severus had proved an advantage during the food fights last year. "How was your summer?"
"Oh great." Draco enthused. "Until Father called me back to England early, that is. I think I might want to study dragons after I graduate. Romania is wonderful. I have to show you the photos when we get to the dorm."
"There isn't much to see of Romania in them." Severus, who'd already suffered through several photo sessions since Draco had returned, warned them. "Half of them are of Dragons and the other half's of Ginny Weasley."
"Yeah, beautiful." Draco declared.
"Ah." made Gregory. Ginny Weasley was the reason Draco sometimes stared into space and didn't answer when talked to. Gregory was very proud to have figured that out with only a little help from Severus last year.
Vincent rolled his eyes, but didn't really mind the idea of having to look at Draco's Ginny photos. The girl was pretty enough and, if looking at some photos was the only price he had to pay for not getting beaten up by Severus and occasionally getting some of Draco's sweets, that was fine with him.
"Severus! Hey, Severus!" a very excited voice called from near the door and a slightly clumsy looking boy stumbled toward them.
"Hi, Neville." Severus smiled at the only Gryffindor he could actually stand. "Good to see you again."
Neville, the once so timid boy, actually pulled out the chair next to Severus and sat down at the table of his rival house. Some fifth and seventh years gaped at him, but nobody challenged him for that seat. Who wanted to sit next to Severus after all?
"Listen, Severus." Neville whispered excitedly. "I brought a whole stack of Filibuster fireworks and some mouse traps. Gran unfortunately wouldn't let me have any stink bombs and it's hard to sneak things past her, but we can buy some on the first Hogsmeade weekend. What do you think of playing some pranks on McGonagall?"
The Slytherins exchanged a few very meaningful looks.
"Come on guys. I know you don't like her and we won't do any actual harm." Neville pushed.
"I was actually thinking of targeting Professor Malfoy this year." Severus confided so softly that even Gregory who was sitting only thee places away didn't hear.
Vincent and Neville however had heard.
"Professor Malfoy?" Neville repeated while Vincent just gaped. "Professor MALFOY? I thought the subject was supposed to be Defence against the dark arts, not the dark arts."
"And it still is." Draco assured him. "It seems Lupin has finally managed to break the streak and we're having the same DADA teacher a second year in a row. Father's here to teach Potions."
"Oh, oh that's excellent. I'm going to blow up some cauldrons. I won't even need any help with that." Neville decided.
Gregory grinned and nodded in confirmation. Neville hadn't needed his help blowing up lots of cauldrons when they'd been partnered in Potions last year. "That was fun."
Unfortunately it had also all been unintentional, but Severus had always been able to prevent any really dangerous explosions. It was actually less straining for him to let the smaller ones happen. Teaching their Potions class was a really tough job even for an experienced teacher.
"Lucius will hate every minute of it." he smirked.
"And he can't run away." added Draco with an identical smirk. "He'd go to Azkaban for two weeks, if he'd quit before Dumbledore lets him go."
Blaise and Pansy wandered to the table arm in arm and sneered at the group.
"Ah Blaise, taking good care of my ex, I see." Draco greeted them.
"Still dating the poor Gryffindor trash, Malfoy?" Blaise returned just as nicely.
"At least Ginny's good looking." Draco shrugged. "And I don't need to marry into money, you know."
Blaise glared while Pansy turned her nose up, but neither said anything. Instead they sat quietly next to Neville. Draco was surprised at their choice of seats at first, until he realised that Millicent Bulstrode had picked the chair next to Gregory and that arrangement allowed Pansy to sit next to her boyfriend and opposite from her best friend.
Draco would probably have been displeased with the seating order under different circumstances, but considering that Blaise, Pansy and Millicent were all among their prime suspects it only made it easier to watch them unobtrusively.
A quick glance up and down the table revealed that the seventh years had retreated to the other end of the table, which was less convenient. Draco could see Stephan LaCroix clearly from where he sat, but there was no chance to hear what he was saying unless he shouted it out to the whole hall.
"What the hell are you doing in my chair, Gryffinscum?" a clod voice sneered at their end of the table and drew Draco from his thoughts.
He looked up. "Hi, Theodore. We already thought we wouldn't see you again."
"I'm keeping the bed in the corner." Severus informed Theodore ignoring his comment to Neville as well.
Neville meanwhile was regarding the new arrival carefully. "Is he a friend of yours?" he finally asked Severus.
"Yes, he's our friend." Draco declared hastily seeing the cold stare Severus was giving the newcomer. Of course, Theodore had never met Severus. He only knew Professor Snape.
"In that case, I'll let him have the seat." Neville declared. "I should probably get to my table anyway."
"Watch your back." Gregory advised him as he got up to leave. "Gryffindors are mean."
"And they probably don't like to see you hanging out with us." Severus added. "Weasley is giving us dark looks already."
"Ron's been looking dark ever since he arrived at Kings Cross this morning." Neville reported calmly. "It's because his brother Percy's missing, I think. He didn't even want to talk with anyone, but at least he's sticking close to Harry and not isolating himself. Well, see you later, guys."
"You're talking to the Gryffindor class clown?" Vincent asked Gregory surprised.
"He's not so bad." Gregory said. "Even let me help with the potion when we were partners."
"And he's a fine partner at pranks." Draco added since Severus was still having a staring match with Theodore. "Neville's alright for a Gryffindor."
"I see, standards around here have sadly degenerated in the time I was gone." Theodore remarked finally sitting down.
"You missed a lot." Vincent informed him. "Things have changed."
"And not for the better." Theodore insisted. "So we're hanging out with Gryffindors and who's the child?" he asked nodding towards Severus.
"My name's Severus. And I'm older than you are." Severus remarked icily.
The others burst into laughter.
"Honest." Draco confirmed. "He's sixteen, just a little small."
"A little?" Theodore snorted. "Watch it, Tiny. I might not be the biggest around here, but I'm still big enough to beat you to a pulp."
Severus cocked his head at him and kept up his icy stare.
"Uh ... Theodore?" Blaise asked hesitantly.
"What?"
"We ... uh ... tried that last year."
"So?"
"He won." Gregory declared pointing at Severus.
"Against who?" Theodore asked. "Blaise?"
"Well, we can handle him as a team." Vincent said proudly.
"If you get help from the girls." Severus reminded him. "Can't keep track of that many opponents, you know. They managed to take me from behind." he added to Theodore.
"You're pulling my leg, right?" Theodore asked looking around the group from face to face slowly.
Severus maintained his icy look, Draco smirked proudly, Vincent shook his head sadly, Gregory stared down and Blaise was glaring at Draco for no reason Theodore could find.
At that moment the doors opened and Professor McGonagall led out the first years. The hall fell silent as the sorting hat sang its newest song. McGonagall brought out her list of names.
"When I read out your name sit on the stool and the hat will sort you." the teacher announced she looked down at her list and ...
The hall suddenly went dark. Only a few stars twinkled down from the enchanted ceiling.
At first there was complete silence in the hall broken only by a few startled gasps. Then people started screaming and the Slytherins closest to their end of the table could hear Severus and Draco's suppressed laughter.
From the other tables loud bangs and clashes and occasional shouts of pain could be heard as Gryffindors scrambled to their feet to meet an unseen attacker while the Hufflepuffs were trying to take cover under their table.
"Silence!" roared the angry voice of Lucius Malfoy from the head table, but nobody obeyed.
"Lumos." came the headmaster's voice much more softly.
As the light from his wand lit up part of the hall people began to calm down and light their own wands.
"Severus." the headmaster said once order had been restored.
"Sorry?" answered Severus not sounding sorry at all.
"Severus!" Albus said sternly.
"It's just a little extinguishing spell." Severus volunteered.
"SEVERUS!" Albus actually managed to surpass Lucius' volume.
The replacement Potions teacher looked up at the standing headmaster with new respect.
"What?" Severus asked unimpressed.
"Relight them!" Dumbledore ordered.
"Can't." Severus said. "I told you it was a simple extinguishing charm, Albus. It was preplanted and set to a trigger spell, but it can't be reversed once it's been used. Each candle will have to be relit individually."
Albus sighed. "Very well, ten points from Slytherin. Everybody, please relight the candles."
With that many people in the great hall it didn't take long until the hall was once again fully lit and the sorting could continue as usual.
Theodore gave Severus a sideward glance. "You called the headmaster Albus?"
"He calls me Severus." Severus returned calmly.
"Theodore, there's something I think I ought to tell you about Severus as soon as we're alone." Blaise whispered into his friend's ear.
"What?" Theodore asked him confused.
"He's not what you think he is." Blaise said ominously, but insisted that he'd only explain that comment once they were alone.
The sorting passed without further incidences and soon the food appeared. Theodore filled his plate with all sorts of meats. His mother's diet didn't allow her to eat meat, so he'd not gotten much during the last year.
"Sniff!"
Had his plate just made that sound? Theodore's eyes wandered away from the pile of chicken legs he'd been going for and down to his food.
There was a small green something there just taking a bite out of his steak!
"Hey! Whatever is that thing?" escaped him before he could think of anything intelligent to say.
"Oh no, it's that blasted hedgehog again!" Blaise exclaimed at the sight.
"Hedgehog?" Well, now that he thought about it the thing did have a slight resemblance to a hedgehog. Only the colour was wrong.
"That's my familiar." Severus informed him calmly. "Greenie."
"What's he doing on my plate?" Theodore complained still a little confused about the creature. Was it some sort of magical creature he'd never heard about?
"He likes steak." Severus told him around a bite of vegetables. "I don't."
"Well, I don't like hedgehogs in my food." Theodore informed him.
"Then give him some stake on a saucer." Severus advised. "He doesn't insist on eating from a full sized plate."
"Ginny's hardly eating anything." Draco reported suddenly. "She's just looking at her brother all the time."
"Neville said he wasn't dealing with Percy's disappearance well." Severus interpreted. "She must be worried."
Draco nodded. "She only returned from Romania two days ago and probably didn't see the weasel much since."
"They'll get over it." Severus decided after a moment. "There's nothing else they can do."
"It'd probably be easier for them, if the body had been found already." Draco said. "Ginny wrote that deep down they're all still hoping that Percy might still be alive. Father told me the hostages were all dead, but I can't just go and tell them. I mean Ginny wouldn't tell on Father, but ..."
"You can't tell her." Severus said immediately. "If you tell her and she tells her family, they'll send the aurors after your father. And if she doesn't tell her family she'll have to watch them hope and wonder. That would hurt her more than not knowing, I think."
"Yes, she does love her family a lot, even the idiot weasel." Draco sighed.
"You should have picked a girl from the right side." Blaise sneered at him. "Then you wouldn't have this problem."
"Ah, but Ginny's much prettier." Draco smirked looking past Blaise at Pansy. "And what makes you so sure she'll be on the wrong side in the end."
"You think you can turn her?" Severus threw in quickly, before Blaise or Theodore could start to wonder whether there was a double meaning to Draco's words.
"Father told me that the dark lord himself believes that I can." Draco reported truthfully. "Of course right now would be a really bad time to try. As long as the loss of her brother's still fresh she's not likely to give changing sides much consideration."
"We should not talk of that here." Theodore said suddenly. "Too many ears."
They fell silent and returned to their food, but Severus secretly kept as watchful an eye on Theodore as Draco had on Ginny. Yes, that one had the intelligence needed to be a good spy.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
JerseyPike - Well, that's Sybil for you. ... Corvus is Sevi's raven that I borrowed from JLM's Slytherin Rising. Munin's father, you could say.
Mystical Witch - Sorry, but RD is over. There'll be a sequel, but it'll be set a while after Draco's school days. Hogwarts Soccer Club against Rakers at that point in time? The Rakers would have won without trying. It took years for Hogwarts to build up a team that can stand up to the West Hogsmeade players who usually start training so much younger.
Mia - No, the potion was for Sevi. He doesn't have the talent to do the animagus transformation, so he had to use some tricks and Minerva's help. Greenie was always here working behind the scenes rather than on stage. He's my partner in almost all my writings (The only exceptions are when he doesn't want to. Then I'm forced to work with Starscream ...)
Ezmerelda - It doesn't seem to me that Harry and Neville are really friends. Well, maybe there's a bit of a friendship starting in OOTP, but before then they seem just classmates to me. Harry wasn't the one who hurt Neville and he had other problems to worry about. Over his Dursley problems he simply forgot about Neville.
Platinum - The decision to write a sequel to MNS is actually two years old. I just wanted to write the tree other fics I'd already been planning before then first. RD got so long however that I have pushed the third back again for now. ... Glad to see you come back for this, thank you!
dstrbd child - Sorry to disappoint you, but RD is over. I'm working on this fic, which I've been planning for two years, right now. Interesting. Yes, that is all I'm going to say about traitor suggestions right now. I just can't give it away too soon. (I probably will be too obvious anyway. I've never tried Mystery before.)
Arily - *blush* Thanks!
Tien Riu - Hey, I promised this sequel and I usually keep my promised. Runaway Dragon just got so long that the wait became two years. . . . The Last Lion. Oh well, it's a fic that makes me a little unhappy. It was born from a sudden plot hedgehog that just wouldn't leave me alone and I absolutely had to finish RD, finally write this and get to some of my other plot hedgehogs. So LL was written rather hastily as a fast one shot. The reviews I got however all called for me to continue it. At first I didn't see any possible direction to take it, but then found three. What I didn't find was the time or absolute irresistible need to do it. Instead I turned it into a challenge for my readers. Nobody answered. I conclude that the need for a continuation can't be that great, if nobody's driven to write one. My other projects are a need, at least to me. Interesting theory. One of my own possible scenarios was that another school had opened up that attracted particularly the Gryffindor types. Another is that Gryffindor was somehow in disgrace and nobody wanted to go there anymore. The hat doesn't appear to sort students into a house they absolutely don't want. Again another scenario is a malfunction of the sorting hat, maybe even sabotage . . . If you want to read all my suggestions, the challenge's in an A/N of one of my Runaway Dragon chapters.
Leevee of Team Socket - Oh, no no no! It was meant for Sevi! He can't transfigure well enough to attempt the animagus transfiguration. ... Why should Greenie need to become an animagus? ... Don't worry, you'll have lots of chapters to make up your mind about the traitor. I'll do my best to introduce lots and lots of suspects. In this I already started to give some names. I'll be adding info on their owners as the story continues.
stargurl - Interesting. What makes you think so? ... I'll try to update weekly, but i can't promise anything.
Loopily - Thanks. ... How you tell a story is no different in English than it is in German. There is a bit of a difficulty in writing in your second language, of course, but that's mostly a matter of vocabulary. The how, however is a matter of practise mostly, which also makes it a matter of age. FF.net s a starting point for many young writers who are improving with every story they write. Give the ones you find not understandable now a year or two and, if they stick around, see how they've changed then.
Pam Briggs - Ah, first one that guessed the project right. Well done! ... I was considering naming chapter 1 a prologue instead, actually, and that's where the cliffhanger comes in. It's meant to be a bit of a teaser.
MaNuElItO - Your English's good, really. Keep going to that school and someday you might be the one who gets a review from me. ... So, did chapter two meet your expectations?
Manda - Thanks! ... Yes, it's been a long time since I first promised you all the sequel, but RD just kept getting bigger and bigger and I didn't want to drop it (which I probably would have, if I'd started working on this while I was still writing it. I have to do these one story at a time.)
Madame Moony - Thanks. ... Hm . . . two Sevi's? That's an interesting idea, but one I never thought about. (My original idea was for Sevi to pose as his own nephew while everybody was told the real Sevi was in the hospital wing and somebody (perhaps Albus) posing as one of the Sevis at one time so Luci could see them both together. The problem with that is that they'd have to alter the memories of the entire student body. So after about a year of planning that original scheme I came up with this one.
TatraMegami - Well, Greenie reminded me just in time that good old Corvus should make an appearance and having Albus lie in the sun was just too good to miss. (PegaPony and I used to joke about it happening in one of her fics, so I just had to put it in.) . . . Sybil and Greenie. Well, I have a friend who's so scared of rats that she once screamed 'rat' at the sight of a wild hamster . . .
Whisper - Ah, but I always said Greenie would return, didn't I? . . . I know I kept you all waiting much too long, though and I'm sorry.
horsehuminum - Imperius Curse? Now that one opens up a whole number of new suspects. Under the Imperius Curse everyone could have done it! . . . I'll give you that one hint, though. The false Moody trained all his students to resist the Imperius. Voldemort doesn't want to risk his victim breaking free at the wrong moment.
Midnight Tiger - Of course Sevi's serious: This is about fighting Voldemort, protecting the school and protecting Draco. . . . I'm not saying anything about the traitor's identity for fear of giving away the Mystery, but I will tell you one thing: There are no transfer students in this fic.
Iremione - Ups! Sorry, I thought you'd know since I gave the date at the end of RD. Psst! Don't tell! We'll see how many guess what when and whether and when they change their minds. I've still got a few people to introduce and a few incidents to happen that will change the whole picture.
zippy zany - Have I ever abandoned a fic that I promised to finish? Unless both ff.net and skyhawke break down permanently, or kick me off, or I lose internet access, I will finish this fic. (I'd probably finish it even in those cases, but wouldn't have a way to post it, I suppose.)
Grrrinning Golden Retriever - I'm afraid that was the last chapter of RD. I had to end it sometime. (The original estimate was that I'd write about 19 chapters ...) Well, I can't believe that there re only three schools in Europe (Hey, can't expect all the kids of Europe to speak at least one of those three schools' languages fluently enough to follow classes at age 11.) So there have to be more schools.
-
-
-
-
A/N: So what do you think of Lucius's punishment? And how will he get on with Sevi? Any guesses at the identity of the traitor? (Those last ones once again will be read with great interest, but not answered, yet.) Please R/R.
-
-
Next: Sevi gets information from Remus, Draco introduces himself to his father and Lucius tries to read the paper in peace.