5. The Clock Struck Eight.
Within days, the school had heard of evils that were haunting the Slytherin dungeon and the Gryffindor tower. Draco listened to the stories being told in the corridors, (which, being Slytherins, they had exaggerated enormously) of their worst fears materialising in front of them, and being drawn on the walls in blood. He thought that was a bit much, and said so. Eventually, the school was living in fear of the cold voice (that changed every day) that interrupted their conversations.
3/~*~~*~~*~\3
Draco began going to the Gryffindor Common Room again, to watch Hermione. He knew that he couldn't touch her, unless he wanted to stir up the Common Room as he had done last week.
His father had taught him the Unforgivable Curses the summer Voldemort had returned. He didn't dare use the Cruciatus curse, but the Imperius curse… well, it was too good an opportunity to miss. He kept to the shadows, as he always did whilst carrying his wand (his wand wasn't invisible, so it seemed as though it was floating in mid air. It was better when he was floating, the ceilings were high, so no - one noticed.) He spent a while selecting his 'victims' and what to do with them. He settled on two, the anyone else who crossed him.
It was late on a Friday night in the middle of February, so the Common Room was full. Draco sat by Hermione, Weasley and Potter, but not saying a word. They were discussing a letter Potter had received - but he wasn't paying attention. The clock struck eight, and just as some people were getting up to go to bed, Draco struck.
3/~*~~*~~*~\3
"Sirius said that we should watch out," Harry whispered.
"Why?" Ron asked, with furtive glances around him.
"He says, a dark wizard is in the castle - but they're wearing an invisibility cloak."
"But Dumbledore can, you know, see right through them." Ron pointed out. "He'd know."
"Why are we keeping this secret from the teachers?" Hermione asked. "They could help us."
"No. We've agreed not to." Harry replied.
"'We' being…? Not the Inter - House Council?" Hermione was referring to a secret 'council' that met every week. The teachers, and other adults, went off every week, and almost everyone knew they were going to O.o.t.P. meetings - that is, Order of the Phoenix meetings. The students had decided to create a different council, that met in a room no - one used. Three students from each year in each house came, and they discussed the rise and expected fall of Voldemort. Of course, the 'evil spirit' had been discussed too.
"Yes, Hermione." Harry groaned exasperatedly. Hermione wasn't very supportive of the I.H.C, as she didn't get chosen to be in it. It was Harry, Ron and, surprising quite a few people, Neville.
Suddenly, just as the clock struck eight, everyone turned to look at Neville - he had stood up on a table in the middle of the room. "What d'you think? An emergency meeting?" Ron muttered to Harry.
"Hmm." Harry mumbled, watching Neville. "No. He'd come over and tell us quietly."
Ron raised an eyebrow and turned to watch Neville too. Suddenly, he began to cluck loudly. Then, he sat down on the table like a dog and howled at the ceiling. Giggles broke out in the corners, and very quickly, the Common Room was roaring with laughter. Within the space of five minutes, Neville had acted out a chicken, a wolf, a cow, a toad, and now he was singing the national anthem. The laughter quietened when he began to sing, because everyone wanted to hear him. The loudest laugh left was an evil cackle somewhere above their heads.
In the middle of the national anthem, Ginny jumped onto the table too, and joined him. When they were finished, they began to act out animals again. They became two cats, a cat and a dog, a cat and a mouse, and two monkeys. The Common Room, once again, roared with laughter.
3/~*~~*~~*~\3
Draco watched as the Gryffindors became spellbound seeing Longbottom and the little Weasley. Well, as spellbound as you can get when you're practically rolling on the floor.
He left them to do their stuff, then went behind a seventh year he had watched. This was the best person for the next job. "Imperio."
The boy stood up and moved back. He fired three spells at random people. Nothing happened for a moment. Suddenly cries went up.
"Oh my God! You've got wings!"
"Help! I'm breathing fire!"
"Whoa! Tail!"
Draco had injected a little of his Dragon - ness into the Gryffindor Common room. People were flying around, amazed by their wings, or pointing their wands at their mouths and shooting jets of water at themselves every time they breathed out. The rest were admiring their newly sprouted tails. Draco crossed his arms and lay back on the air again, marvelling at his work.
After about ten minutes, he removed his Imperius curse from the three of them (Longbottom and Weasley had been caught by all three Dragon spells) and the seventh year student removed the Dragon spells.
He plunged to the floor as though on a muggle roller coaster, to hear what they thought of it. He heard snatches of the conversation.
"…Harry, it was like…you know … Moody?"
"Told you."
"But it wasn't…"
"… When he cursed me…"
Draco suddenly understood. Mad Eye had put the Imperius curse on them, one by one, in the lessons. It was fine for him - he could fight it. Moody had ordered him to sing, but he didn't. Moody was impressed. He was by far the best DAtDA teacher. It was just, as had been said…he was mental.
"Harry, Snuffles was right." Weasley muttered.
Who's Snuffles? Draco wondered. He pondered asking, but didn't.
"What was he right about?" Potter asked.
"About the Dark Wizard. He - assuming it's a he - is using the Imperius curse on people."
"Dark Wizard? I'm flattered." Draco's voice was louder than he'd expected. Potter and Weasley spun round. "Sorry I scared you." Draco hissed sarcastically. Hey, whilst I'm here, I might as well ask about Snuffles, he thought. "So, Potter. Who's Snuffles? Some sort of Hero Code?" Draco lengthened every 's' as though he was a snake.
"Like we'd tell an evil voice." Weasley growled.
"Not just a voice," Draco hissed in his present serpentine way. "I'm much, much more."
"Really?" Potter said sarcastically. "Like what?"
"Watch." Draco couldn't help it, he was too used to his arguments with him to stop sensibly. He created a small woodpecker, which hopped along the table. He raised his wand again (which Potter and Weasley were watching carefully) and cried "Avada Kedavra!" Everyone turned to see a flash of green light, then stared at the dead bird lying on the floor in front of Potter and Weasley. He took his wand again and wrote glittering letters in the air. 'I am…' He paused, wondering what to write, and heard Potter say something.
"It's Voldemort. He did this in my second year."
Draco was suddenly inspired. He left the words in the air, and floated out of the Common Room people stared and laughed at the words, which were left there for three days…
'I am Lord MoldyShorts'
Within days, the school had heard of evils that were haunting the Slytherin dungeon and the Gryffindor tower. Draco listened to the stories being told in the corridors, (which, being Slytherins, they had exaggerated enormously) of their worst fears materialising in front of them, and being drawn on the walls in blood. He thought that was a bit much, and said so. Eventually, the school was living in fear of the cold voice (that changed every day) that interrupted their conversations.
3/~*~~*~~*~\3
Draco began going to the Gryffindor Common Room again, to watch Hermione. He knew that he couldn't touch her, unless he wanted to stir up the Common Room as he had done last week.
His father had taught him the Unforgivable Curses the summer Voldemort had returned. He didn't dare use the Cruciatus curse, but the Imperius curse… well, it was too good an opportunity to miss. He kept to the shadows, as he always did whilst carrying his wand (his wand wasn't invisible, so it seemed as though it was floating in mid air. It was better when he was floating, the ceilings were high, so no - one noticed.) He spent a while selecting his 'victims' and what to do with them. He settled on two, the anyone else who crossed him.
It was late on a Friday night in the middle of February, so the Common Room was full. Draco sat by Hermione, Weasley and Potter, but not saying a word. They were discussing a letter Potter had received - but he wasn't paying attention. The clock struck eight, and just as some people were getting up to go to bed, Draco struck.
3/~*~~*~~*~\3
"Sirius said that we should watch out," Harry whispered.
"Why?" Ron asked, with furtive glances around him.
"He says, a dark wizard is in the castle - but they're wearing an invisibility cloak."
"But Dumbledore can, you know, see right through them." Ron pointed out. "He'd know."
"Why are we keeping this secret from the teachers?" Hermione asked. "They could help us."
"No. We've agreed not to." Harry replied.
"'We' being…? Not the Inter - House Council?" Hermione was referring to a secret 'council' that met every week. The teachers, and other adults, went off every week, and almost everyone knew they were going to O.o.t.P. meetings - that is, Order of the Phoenix meetings. The students had decided to create a different council, that met in a room no - one used. Three students from each year in each house came, and they discussed the rise and expected fall of Voldemort. Of course, the 'evil spirit' had been discussed too.
"Yes, Hermione." Harry groaned exasperatedly. Hermione wasn't very supportive of the I.H.C, as she didn't get chosen to be in it. It was Harry, Ron and, surprising quite a few people, Neville.
Suddenly, just as the clock struck eight, everyone turned to look at Neville - he had stood up on a table in the middle of the room. "What d'you think? An emergency meeting?" Ron muttered to Harry.
"Hmm." Harry mumbled, watching Neville. "No. He'd come over and tell us quietly."
Ron raised an eyebrow and turned to watch Neville too. Suddenly, he began to cluck loudly. Then, he sat down on the table like a dog and howled at the ceiling. Giggles broke out in the corners, and very quickly, the Common Room was roaring with laughter. Within the space of five minutes, Neville had acted out a chicken, a wolf, a cow, a toad, and now he was singing the national anthem. The laughter quietened when he began to sing, because everyone wanted to hear him. The loudest laugh left was an evil cackle somewhere above their heads.
In the middle of the national anthem, Ginny jumped onto the table too, and joined him. When they were finished, they began to act out animals again. They became two cats, a cat and a dog, a cat and a mouse, and two monkeys. The Common Room, once again, roared with laughter.
3/~*~~*~~*~\3
Draco watched as the Gryffindors became spellbound seeing Longbottom and the little Weasley. Well, as spellbound as you can get when you're practically rolling on the floor.
He left them to do their stuff, then went behind a seventh year he had watched. This was the best person for the next job. "Imperio."
The boy stood up and moved back. He fired three spells at random people. Nothing happened for a moment. Suddenly cries went up.
"Oh my God! You've got wings!"
"Help! I'm breathing fire!"
"Whoa! Tail!"
Draco had injected a little of his Dragon - ness into the Gryffindor Common room. People were flying around, amazed by their wings, or pointing their wands at their mouths and shooting jets of water at themselves every time they breathed out. The rest were admiring their newly sprouted tails. Draco crossed his arms and lay back on the air again, marvelling at his work.
After about ten minutes, he removed his Imperius curse from the three of them (Longbottom and Weasley had been caught by all three Dragon spells) and the seventh year student removed the Dragon spells.
He plunged to the floor as though on a muggle roller coaster, to hear what they thought of it. He heard snatches of the conversation.
"…Harry, it was like…you know … Moody?"
"Told you."
"But it wasn't…"
"… When he cursed me…"
Draco suddenly understood. Mad Eye had put the Imperius curse on them, one by one, in the lessons. It was fine for him - he could fight it. Moody had ordered him to sing, but he didn't. Moody was impressed. He was by far the best DAtDA teacher. It was just, as had been said…he was mental.
"Harry, Snuffles was right." Weasley muttered.
Who's Snuffles? Draco wondered. He pondered asking, but didn't.
"What was he right about?" Potter asked.
"About the Dark Wizard. He - assuming it's a he - is using the Imperius curse on people."
"Dark Wizard? I'm flattered." Draco's voice was louder than he'd expected. Potter and Weasley spun round. "Sorry I scared you." Draco hissed sarcastically. Hey, whilst I'm here, I might as well ask about Snuffles, he thought. "So, Potter. Who's Snuffles? Some sort of Hero Code?" Draco lengthened every 's' as though he was a snake.
"Like we'd tell an evil voice." Weasley growled.
"Not just a voice," Draco hissed in his present serpentine way. "I'm much, much more."
"Really?" Potter said sarcastically. "Like what?"
"Watch." Draco couldn't help it, he was too used to his arguments with him to stop sensibly. He created a small woodpecker, which hopped along the table. He raised his wand again (which Potter and Weasley were watching carefully) and cried "Avada Kedavra!" Everyone turned to see a flash of green light, then stared at the dead bird lying on the floor in front of Potter and Weasley. He took his wand again and wrote glittering letters in the air. 'I am…' He paused, wondering what to write, and heard Potter say something.
"It's Voldemort. He did this in my second year."
Draco was suddenly inspired. He left the words in the air, and floated out of the Common Room people stared and laughed at the words, which were left there for three days…
'I am Lord MoldyShorts'