Part 4: Tis the season
The sounds of christmas could be heard in the halls of Hogwarts. Dozens of trees were brought into the school, yet to be decorated but the feeling was still there none the less. Unfortunately, this cheer did not reach the potions master.
"Professor, I do agree with you that this is an urgent matter but I disagree with your way of handling it," Snape said evenly, not meeting Dumbledore's golden eyes.
"Now Severus, there are crave concerns that the boy will not survive this year, but since we have not yet discovered the true purpose of the necklace, I see no threat. It was just... intuition, is that what you said?" The old man chuckled silently as he rose from his chair.
"But it was stolen, headmaster, that must mean something."
"It means someone saw it. That is all. Afterall, it is a very beautiful piece of jewellery."
Snape watched in frustration as Dumbledore moved over to a large book and began thumbing through it.
"Sir, I can not sit by and watch this. We must act. The sooner the better."
"We must do nothing Severus. All will work out in the end. Now, if you don't mind, I have some work to do."
And, with that, Snape was practically kicked out of the room. He could still hear the old man humming 'Jingle Bells' as he walked down the stone steps.
Snape was quite confused by the way Dumbledore was acting. Confused but not at all surprised. It was not the first time the wise wizard had been vague in his arguments but in the end, he was always right. Snape just hoped this time it was not an exception.
Draco entered his room with a huff. He was annoyed. Annoyed at this time of year, annoyed at the happy students that infected the corriders so thoroughly and, most of all, annoyed at Miss I'mthebestsoshutup Granger.
Never in his dreams, but always in his worst nightmares, did he expect her to leap so far ahead of him in his studies. He had the best tutors, the most expensive tools and still the little whinger was beating him.
And she was doing it fair and square!
Draco had paid the finest detectives (by Draco of course he meant his father) to spy on her at all hours of the day. Many insects lost their lives in an attempt to bring down the comely witch. But they never had anything to report. Did this girl ever do anything wrong?
He slammed his books down on the table and pushed his long locks out of his eyes. He really needed a haircut.
After staring at the wall for what seemed like hours, Draco forced himself to his feet. And on to his stomach.
A few moments passed as he scouged around under his bed and what he pulled out was unremarkable in every sense. It was a large clear jar filled with buttons. Draco smiled as he climbed on to his four-poster bed and placed the jar in front of him.
A tap of his wand to the top of the lid was all that was needed to open the jar and, upon spilling it's contents on the comforter, revealed just more buttons.
Draco dumped the jar beside him, not giving it another thought, and turned to the buttons. He leaned over them, waved his wand in a star shaped pattern and spoke softly:
"Revealae."
Blue smoke shot from the end of his wand, causing the star to materialise for a moment in the air, then it settled down, spreading over the buttons. Then, it disappeared.
Nada. Nothing happened.
Draco grimaced at this development, about to try again when the buttons suddenly changed forms.
Some combined to become a beaded comb, others became a honeyed coloured quill. Rings and bobbots. Earrings and doddads, some of the items must have cost the owner a pretty penny. Others had just sentumental value. It did not matter to Draco, if he saw it and someone else owned it, then he had to have it.
Amoung the clutter was his newest aquisition, the gold necklace.
He picked it up gingerly, not sure about its delicacy and held it in front of his eyes. This was his finest prize yet. And it was the hardest to gain access to by far. But worth all the pain.
Looping the long chain around his neck, he rose and placed himself in front of his tall mirror.
"Not really your colour dear," the mirror said, good heartedly.
It was right. Gold never did suit him, he and his family wore silver but he did so love the green. The way it glowed around his pale skin, made him look more... alive. Made him feel alive too.
Strange.
He unclasped the necklace, eyeing it suspiciously and threw it on the bed. There was a knock at the door.
"Enter."
The open open slightly and a slim head peaked through. It was a boy, not yet a teenager by the look of him, and he looked as through he was about to wet his pants.
"M.. Mr Malfoy?"
"Yes?"
The boy figited bervously and could not look him in the eye.
"Your clothes sir, they just got back. The house elves just dropped them off..."
"Tell Crabbe or Goyle to bring them up. Now leave. I'm very busy."
"If you please sir, he did not mean to do it. He just gets nervous around new people."
Draco raised his head at this new development.
"What do you mean?"
"Nero, my pet salamander, he... well, lost control of himself sir."
"And?"
"On your clothes."
"What?"
"He didn't mean to, honest, it's just, you know how salamanders are fire dragons."
Draco was getting tired.
"Yes, I know."
"Well, that's what he... pees. Fire."
"And my clothes?"
"Ruined, sir."
Draco took a step towards the young boy, who seemed likely to repeat his pets actions. Draco'sface was empty of emotion, devoid of all animation. The boy coward behind the door, his eyes squeezed shut, awaiting his impending doom.
"It's alright."
The boy opened his eyes in shock.
"W... what?"
"It's fine. Don't worry about it, it was not your fault."
Draco pulled the door open all the way and patted the boy on the back. The boy was so scared, he flinched at Draco's touch.
"Go tell my boys to bring them to me. No harm done. Off with you."
The boy did not need to be told twice. He was off before you could say salamander whiz.
Draco chuckled softly as he closed the door.
Wait.
He chuckled?
Draco stopped moving and look back towards the door. Did he just halucinate? Or did he let that boy off scott free? He was a child, Draco could have taken him easily.
Draco put his hand on his forehead. No fever. Maybe he was just tired. He shook his head with bisbelief. Nah, he must be getting sick. He would never do that in his right mind.
Draco looked back towards his bed, ready to pull the covers down and climb into his safe haven when he saw the stolen goods lying there. Moving his wand over them, they instanly changed into the buttons. Draco could still see the outline of the necklace as he brushed them back into the jar.
He thought nothing of them for the rest of the night. Why should he? It was just a stupid necklace.
The sounds of christmas could be heard in the halls of Hogwarts. Dozens of trees were brought into the school, yet to be decorated but the feeling was still there none the less. Unfortunately, this cheer did not reach the potions master.
"Professor, I do agree with you that this is an urgent matter but I disagree with your way of handling it," Snape said evenly, not meeting Dumbledore's golden eyes.
"Now Severus, there are crave concerns that the boy will not survive this year, but since we have not yet discovered the true purpose of the necklace, I see no threat. It was just... intuition, is that what you said?" The old man chuckled silently as he rose from his chair.
"But it was stolen, headmaster, that must mean something."
"It means someone saw it. That is all. Afterall, it is a very beautiful piece of jewellery."
Snape watched in frustration as Dumbledore moved over to a large book and began thumbing through it.
"Sir, I can not sit by and watch this. We must act. The sooner the better."
"We must do nothing Severus. All will work out in the end. Now, if you don't mind, I have some work to do."
And, with that, Snape was practically kicked out of the room. He could still hear the old man humming 'Jingle Bells' as he walked down the stone steps.
Snape was quite confused by the way Dumbledore was acting. Confused but not at all surprised. It was not the first time the wise wizard had been vague in his arguments but in the end, he was always right. Snape just hoped this time it was not an exception.
Draco entered his room with a huff. He was annoyed. Annoyed at this time of year, annoyed at the happy students that infected the corriders so thoroughly and, most of all, annoyed at Miss I'mthebestsoshutup Granger.
Never in his dreams, but always in his worst nightmares, did he expect her to leap so far ahead of him in his studies. He had the best tutors, the most expensive tools and still the little whinger was beating him.
And she was doing it fair and square!
Draco had paid the finest detectives (by Draco of course he meant his father) to spy on her at all hours of the day. Many insects lost their lives in an attempt to bring down the comely witch. But they never had anything to report. Did this girl ever do anything wrong?
He slammed his books down on the table and pushed his long locks out of his eyes. He really needed a haircut.
After staring at the wall for what seemed like hours, Draco forced himself to his feet. And on to his stomach.
A few moments passed as he scouged around under his bed and what he pulled out was unremarkable in every sense. It was a large clear jar filled with buttons. Draco smiled as he climbed on to his four-poster bed and placed the jar in front of him.
A tap of his wand to the top of the lid was all that was needed to open the jar and, upon spilling it's contents on the comforter, revealed just more buttons.
Draco dumped the jar beside him, not giving it another thought, and turned to the buttons. He leaned over them, waved his wand in a star shaped pattern and spoke softly:
"Revealae."
Blue smoke shot from the end of his wand, causing the star to materialise for a moment in the air, then it settled down, spreading over the buttons. Then, it disappeared.
Nada. Nothing happened.
Draco grimaced at this development, about to try again when the buttons suddenly changed forms.
Some combined to become a beaded comb, others became a honeyed coloured quill. Rings and bobbots. Earrings and doddads, some of the items must have cost the owner a pretty penny. Others had just sentumental value. It did not matter to Draco, if he saw it and someone else owned it, then he had to have it.
Amoung the clutter was his newest aquisition, the gold necklace.
He picked it up gingerly, not sure about its delicacy and held it in front of his eyes. This was his finest prize yet. And it was the hardest to gain access to by far. But worth all the pain.
Looping the long chain around his neck, he rose and placed himself in front of his tall mirror.
"Not really your colour dear," the mirror said, good heartedly.
It was right. Gold never did suit him, he and his family wore silver but he did so love the green. The way it glowed around his pale skin, made him look more... alive. Made him feel alive too.
Strange.
He unclasped the necklace, eyeing it suspiciously and threw it on the bed. There was a knock at the door.
"Enter."
The open open slightly and a slim head peaked through. It was a boy, not yet a teenager by the look of him, and he looked as through he was about to wet his pants.
"M.. Mr Malfoy?"
"Yes?"
The boy figited bervously and could not look him in the eye.
"Your clothes sir, they just got back. The house elves just dropped them off..."
"Tell Crabbe or Goyle to bring them up. Now leave. I'm very busy."
"If you please sir, he did not mean to do it. He just gets nervous around new people."
Draco raised his head at this new development.
"What do you mean?"
"Nero, my pet salamander, he... well, lost control of himself sir."
"And?"
"On your clothes."
"What?"
"He didn't mean to, honest, it's just, you know how salamanders are fire dragons."
Draco was getting tired.
"Yes, I know."
"Well, that's what he... pees. Fire."
"And my clothes?"
"Ruined, sir."
Draco took a step towards the young boy, who seemed likely to repeat his pets actions. Draco'sface was empty of emotion, devoid of all animation. The boy coward behind the door, his eyes squeezed shut, awaiting his impending doom.
"It's alright."
The boy opened his eyes in shock.
"W... what?"
"It's fine. Don't worry about it, it was not your fault."
Draco pulled the door open all the way and patted the boy on the back. The boy was so scared, he flinched at Draco's touch.
"Go tell my boys to bring them to me. No harm done. Off with you."
The boy did not need to be told twice. He was off before you could say salamander whiz.
Draco chuckled softly as he closed the door.
Wait.
He chuckled?
Draco stopped moving and look back towards the door. Did he just halucinate? Or did he let that boy off scott free? He was a child, Draco could have taken him easily.
Draco put his hand on his forehead. No fever. Maybe he was just tired. He shook his head with bisbelief. Nah, he must be getting sick. He would never do that in his right mind.
Draco looked back towards his bed, ready to pull the covers down and climb into his safe haven when he saw the stolen goods lying there. Moving his wand over them, they instanly changed into the buttons. Draco could still see the outline of the necklace as he brushed them back into the jar.
He thought nothing of them for the rest of the night. Why should he? It was just a stupid necklace.