Disclaimer: Much as I'd like to, I don't own Draco Malfoy, or any part of the magical world that J.K. Rowling has all the copyrights to ... please don't sue me. There are some parts of this story that are quotes from the book - it can't be helped - events are the same as in the book, but Draco's opinion of these events may vary from Harry's.
Author's Notes: Ok, I know the New Year's thing in the last chapter sucked ... but who cares? I've written a new chapter - yay! I do apologise for the delay, though - someone *pointed look at the guilty party - you know who you are* got me addicted to Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic *happy sigh* I've been playing it for the last two weeks! I may take a while for the next chapter too - I apologise. Oh, and it's important that you note - Gryffindors have Herbology when the Slytherins have Transfiguration, therefore only the Slyths will know about what Draco's going to do in Transfiguration class, this chapter.
dragonsprincess: I won't tell you my plans ... except that there will be at least one ferret in my OotP ... whether Draco completes Animagus or not is still debatable *grin*.
Sinical-Sarchasm: Glad you liked - the gift-horse line was one of my favourites *grin*.
dstrbd child: Draco is very selective about who he trusts ... but he's not totally paranoid. Hogwarts takes the best, this is true ... but how did Peter or Neville get in if the likes of Crabbe and Goyle couldn't? Where do you draw the line? I think they draw the line at "total Squib", to be honest. As for how they got into Slytherin ... that will be made apparent in my OotP *evil grin*.
kevin luver: Glad you liked it.
kraeg001: Huh?
Sondra D.: *blink* thank you. *double-blink, rubs her eyes and reads that again* you're kidding, right? I've read The Serpent's Society - I'm not that good! Thanks for the compliment, though ... but I don't think my writing's that good, really.
Hrei-siesn: Ahem, I thought Wednesday said Rowena and Salazar wrote that series of books? I mean, of course Rowena'd not write a book on the Dark Arts.
duochang97: I learned it when I was about ten - mom and dad bought a video of Romeo and Juliet, and insisted I understand it. I remember watching a cartoon spoof of it, not long after that, and literally cringing when that girl said "Romeo, Romeo, where the heck are you, Romeo" *shudder*. I have to say it: Leonardo DeCrapio (not a typo, by the way) is a smug git and I hate everything about him *nods* ... sorry if I offend anyone with that statement, it's just my opinion. I thought it'd be ironic, I mean if three Gryffindor firsties could figure it out, what makes anyone think that all of the older Ravenclaws and Slytherins didn't already know about it? They're the two intelligent houses, after all. Well, the four founders were all good friends for many years - oh, I have plans for the Lexicon to tell Draco stories about its writer *grin*.
Princess of Darkness: ff.net be evil. Not that I'm complaining *wary look at the ever-present-ness of ff.net that allows her to post these fics* I like evilness ... *mutters* as long as it doesn't deprive me of more reviews in future. Anyway, thank - glad you like.
Lolua: *snigger* I thought the logic made sense - however, problems do arise if the person believes they've lost their soul-mate, yes. *grins, picturing masochist!Draco provoking Hermione to slap him, on purpose* nice mental pictures, thanks.
jynzx: Thanks - I'm glad you liked them. Although, I still don't think my ATHSS is that good, really. But if you like it, then *shrugs* I'm not complaining.
angelkas: *totally ignores the song quotes* yeah, Draco would also have killed him, if Theo hadn't planned ahead ... Theo knew this, which is why he had both a "talk his way out of hell" plan, and an escape route from their dorm planned, just to be safe *grin*. Draco's aunt smokes - nothing exotic, just cigarettes, but those are still Muggle drugs (and yet somehow, smoking a pipe isn't, according to Lucius!) ... the woman is based on one of my own aunts, as is the story about the Muggle paper-boy she whacked with her walking stick for leaving the gate open ... honestly, she really did that. *somehow keeping a straight face* crappy handwriting can mean you didn't wash your hands properly last time you went to the bathroom *seconds tick by ... one ... two ... three ... falls over giggling*. Sorry for the tasteless joke ... and thanks for the compliment.
Simply Myself: Can you guess why the Gryffindors were caught? It was all Sirius and James' faults - they made so much noise and commotion at their seventh-year party that they woke McGonagall! Also, she arrived on the scene at midnight, and caught half her house mid-snog *grin* she blamed Sirius and James for setting up the party in the first place, not just making it more "lively", and so none of the other three houses were ever suspected. I loved the Lexicon, too - that's why I asked Akuma-sama if I could use it ... although, my version of it may be somewhat different to his. I also find people dying in movies hilarious.
xenelle: Thanks ... but I'm not giving the plot away in advance.
Bob: Draco's a smart boy - and if Peter could do it in his fifth-or-sixth year, Draco can do it in his fourth-or-fifth. It is complicated, but with enough effort and determination (something Slyths aren't afraid of - "any means, to achieve their ends") it can be done. Draco will not get his hands on all the living books ... although I'm not saying whether or not he will obtain some more of them in the future.
Starre: *blink* why would I answer that? I'm not in the habit of giving away plot in the A/Ns ... although, this fic is very different from ATHSS, there are some similarities, I'm just not saying what they are *grin*.
slytherin-punk-rocker311: I don't see how H/Hr is possible in canon - while Ron has acknowledged the fact Hermione's a girl, Harry still hadn't. Draco, on the other hand, we know next to nothing about in canon, besides that he's a vengeful brat who has it in for Harry because Harry rejected him on the train, and his dad's an evil git and a Death Eater ... that leaves him almost a blank slate for fanfic writers (like me *evil grin*) - we don't know what he really thinks of Hermione beyond having been raised to call her a Mudblood. That and his warning in 4th year to keep her head down while the Death Eaters were causing trouble led me to the D/Hr ship. But if you like H/Hr, that is a good pairing, too, I'm just trying to work on the basic premise of keeping to canon *shrug*. I actually like H/D *grin* but that's never gonna happen, is it?
Elliy: *grins* glad you like it. I always try to turn the supposed bad-guys into sympathetic not-so-bad-really characters ... JKR did it with Voldemort, sorta, but I felt Draco deserved it too. Lucius, I've also wanted to try to make look good (morally - we all know he's drop-dead gorgeous physically *drool*), but I can't see a way to.
oasis: Glad you like.
Kathi: Um ... here's more ...
"Morality has nothing to do with what your attorney tells you." -Judge Judy
Chapter 22 - Skeeter 1 ; Hagrid 0
Classes were due to start the next day. I was at breakfast, when Theo shoved a copy of the Daily Prophet under my nose. Milli, Pansy and Blaise already had their noses buried in their copies of the paper. I read it.
'DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE
Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make
controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special
Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor
'Mad-Eye' Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to
teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused
many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's
well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden
movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks
responsible and kindly, when set beside the part-human
Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures.
Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from
Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of game-
keeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by
Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious
influence over the Headmaster to secure the additional post of
Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many
better-qualified candidates.
An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid
has been using his new-found authority to terrify the students
in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While
Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several
pupils during a series of lessons which many admit to be
'very frightening'.
'I was attacked by a Hippogriff, and my friend Vincent
Crabbe got a bad bite off a Flobberworm,' says Draco Malfoy,
a fourth-year student. 'We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too
scared to say anything.'
I stopped reading there, "Milli!"
Milli looked up from her copy of the paper, "I thought you said she couldn't write anything libellous about me? She's misquoted me." I said coldly.
"Hmmm ... so she has." Milli said, taking out her 'autograph', and re-reading the legalese, "I think she can get away with misquotes, as long as she gets the gist of your meaning."
"I never said I'm afraid of that oaf!" I snapped.
Milli frowned, "Maybe her Dicta-Quill took that liberty?" she suggested.
"Sue her." I said coldly.
"I can't. This is a magically binding contract, not a legal contract. It magically forces the person who signs it to adhere to it, it can't stand up in court if she found a way around it, besides, we did trick her into signing it in the first place, which in itself is illegal."
I scowled at the paper for a minute, "She left out at least three quarters of what I said about that Hippogriff, and edited 'Crabbe got bitten by a Flobberworm' to 'my friend Vincent Crabbe -' he is not my friend, and I never use his first name! '- got a bad bite off a Flobberworm' I don't even talk like that, do I?"
Milli sighed, "It's called journalistic licence. Get used to it if you want to be in the spotlight, Draco."
"And my exact quote had been 'we all hate Hagrid, but Dumbledore doesn't seem to care what Slytherins think'." I added petulantly.
"Get over it." Milli said dismissively, "It still got the point across."
"It made me sound like a prissy sissy little coward." I snapped.
"Would you rather sound like a Gryffindor?" Milli snapped right back.
"No, but I'd rather not sound like a wimp."
"You are a wimp, Draco - you ran screaming from your first ever detention." Theo said cheerfully.
"That was because I happened to almost trip over a freshly-murdered unicorn." I snarled at him.
Theo just sniggered, not seeming to care. I growled. "Just read the rest of the article, Draco." Theo said calmly. Giving him one more petulant glare, I read on.
' Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimida-
tion, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last
month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed 'Blast-
Ended Skrewts', highly dangerous crosses between manticores
and fire crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is,
of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department
for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, it
seems, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions.
'I was just having some fun,' he says, before hastily chang-
ing the subject.
As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now
unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not - as he has always
pretended - a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure
human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other
than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently
unknown.'
"He's part-giant?" I asked, surprised. Theo gave me a 'duh' look, and I thought for a second, "I guess it's kinda obvious, when you think about it." I muttered.
"Yeah." Theo said in a semi-sarcastic tone, "I'm surprised you missed how he's twice the height of a normal person, thinks dangerous creatures are cute and cuddly, is thick as Crabbe or Goyle, and his first reaction to someone being rude to him or his friends is 'crush, smash, destroy' ... and with his size, I mean literally."
I glared at him, "I thought he was just a Gryffindor who swallowed a bottle of Skele-Grow, or something." I said coldly.
Theo pondered this concept, "I guess there's not much difference, huh?" he asked, grinning ... then "Read on."
' Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to
the point of extinction by warring among themselves during
the last centuary. The handful that remained joined the ranks
of He Who Must Not Be Named, and were responsible for
some of the worst mass Muggle-killings of his reign of terror.
While many giants who served He Who Must Not Be
Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark side,
Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to
one of the giant communities still existing in foreign moun-
tain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures
lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa's son appears to
have inherited her brutal nature.
In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a
close friendship with the boy who brought about You-Know-
Who's fall from power - thereby driving Hagrid's own mother,
like the rest of You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding.
Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about
his large friend - but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to
ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is
warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants.'
"How does she end up turning everything she writes into either an attack on the Ministry, or Potter-centric crap?" I asked coldly.
"Cute word, Draco." Theo muttered - I hit him.
"It's called talent, Draco." Milli said, "It's what her readers want to hear, so it's what she does with every item she writes."
"It's annoying. The attacks on the Ministry are fun, but why must she fawn over Potter?" I growled.
"Because most people who read the Prophet like the brat." Blaise said, folding her copy of the Prophet, and putting it away carefully in her pocket.
"Theo, can I have this paper?" I asked.
"Sure." Theo replied - he already had his nose buried in a copy of the Quibbler.
"Thanks." I said, putting the Prophet in my pocket carefully - I wasn't going to put that article in my scrapbook, but it was still good to have.
* * *
I scared the hell out of McGonagall in our first Transfiguration lesson, by Transfiguring Theo's hair into live snakes, and back again, just to see how she'd react. "How - how did you do that, Mr Malfoy?" she asked, when she got her breath back again - everyone was watching me now.
"I think it's called Transfiguration, Professor ... but you're the expert." I said innocently.
Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly for a few moments, then she said, "I believe transfiguring aspects of humans into inhuman objects or creatures is seventh year material."
"I think you're right." I said, nodding.
"Then how, prey tell, did you manage to cast that spell successfully, on Mr Nott?"
"Um ... I read ahead, Professor. After that accident with the badger thing, I wanted to be able to do human transformations, so I've been working on this class more." I said, semi-honestly.
"Although." Theo said, looking in a mirror Blaise had handed him, "This time he got my hair back to normal."
McGonagall pursed her lips, "So I see. What other human transformation spells have you been practicing, Mr Malfoy?" she asked suspiciously - I decided it would be a bad idea to admit that I could turn my fingernails into claws successfully, so instead I said, "Well, I'm pretty certain I could give Crabbe and Goyle donkey ears and tails if you'd like?"
Her lip twitched in a well concealed attempt at a smile, while the whole class (except Crabbe and Goyle, who just looked stupid as per usual) sniggered, before she gave me a stern look, "That will not be necessary, Mr Malfoy. Just pay attention to turning the hamster you were given into a stuffed toy of something that is not a hamster, as per your instructions for the -"
"I've already finished, look." I said, holding up a plush version of the rubber duck that had been found by one of the Slytherins last year. Theo squeaked when he saw it.
McGonagall's right eye twitched, "If only every student put as much effort into their studies - you used to be barely passing this class." she said, sighing.
I smirked, and continued to surreptitiously vanish Theo's parchment, which contained his copy of the instructions for that day's homework, inch by inch. It's a fundamental fact that when you are either too smart for the class or - as in this case - have worked ahead and know the work already, you get bored and usually start causing trouble. When I was in the fourth year of my primary school, my teacher thought I was mentally subnormal because I spent half my time flicking pieces of parchment at other students ... truth was I'd finished the work and was bored. My parents took great delight in the fact that the psych-healer she referring me to for 'learning disorders' all-but laughed in her face at this idea, and I took even more delight in passing my exams that year with 142% (a school record) and rubbing her nose in it.
* * *
We were walking down to Care of Dangerous Beasts class, when we saw - to our great relief - that there was no great oaf of a gamekeeper there today ... Blaise had told us she'd thought that he'd be hiding, and her logic is impeccable (why else would anyone take Arithmancy, if they weren't good with probabilities?), so we weren't surprised. The Gryffindorks were gathered around a woman I'd never seen before - I barely caught the words, "Where's Hagrid?" from Potter.
And "He is indisposed." from the woman.
Theo whispered to me, "Substitute teacher?" with an evil grin on his face.
"Don't mess with her, Theo - anyone, even Lockhart-turned-drag-queen, would be better than that half-breed." I replied quickly.
All the rest of the Slytherins around me started laughing at that - probably more at the image of Lockhart as a drag queen than anything else, but who cares?
"She looks nothing like Lockhart." Theo noted, as if I'd been suggesting she did. I hit him.
Then the woman said, "This way please." she led us around the paddock in which the Beauxbatons horses were kept.
Potter persisted in pestering the new professor, as to the half-giant's whereabouts, but I didn't hear him, because, "So, did anyone catch her name?" Pansy asked.
"Nope." Theo replied cheerfully.
"I didn't hear it." I added.
"I doubt it's worth asking them?" Pansy commented, giving Crabbe and Goyle a mildly disdainful look.
"Definitely not." I said calmly.
"And the other two girls were way behind me." Pansy muttered.
"Well, here's a novel idea, Pans -" Theo started, but was interrupted when we all rounded the corner, and every girl in the class started oooing and ahing, like they were looking at the most beautiful thing they had ever seen - I looked up and realised that my assumption was about accurate - there was a unicorn tethered at the edge of the Forest. It was such a beautiful pure white, it made the untouched snow look like the filthy slush from underneath a car or a carriage. "Wow, a unicorn." Theo muttered, totally forgetting what he'd been about to suggest to Pansy, "I've never seen anything like it."
"Spec-bloody-tacular." I heard the Irish Gryffindolt say.
I kicked him hard, in the back of the knee, "Go suck a Blast-Ended Skrewt, Finnegan." I growled.
"What's got up your nose, Malfoy?" he asked, turning on me.
"Your use of swear-words. Quit it and I might not hit you again." I growled.
He blinked, stared for a second, then shrugged and returned his attention to the unicorn. Theo was giving me an odd look - he knew exactly what had pissed me off, and for once looked like he wasn't going to comment.
"Boys, keep back!" the teacher said sharply, "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns."
"Not sure about women, but Malfoy'll be ok, he's a girl." Finnegan could be heard to mutter - I kicked him again.
"Girls to the front, and approach with care. Come on, easy does it ..." the teacher continued, oblivious to Finnegan's comment. She led the girls over towards the unicorn, and I glowered at the woman - I may be a biased, racist brat, but I hate to be discriminated against ... ok, so add hypocritical to that list, then.
I was distracted from my fuming by Potter's irritating voice, "What d'you reckon's wrong with him? You don't think a Skrewt -?"
I had to interrupt him - he was being annoying, and distracting me from being pissed at the substitute teacher, "Oh, he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking." not physically attacked, anyway.
"What d'you mean?" Potter asked me, coldly.
I smirked slightly, and took out the article from the previous day's paper, I'd already read it anyway - and if I let him read it, I'd never want to touch it again anyway, so I gave it to the brat. It's worth it, he obviously hasn't read it, and it'd upset the golden boy so well, "There you go. Hate to break it to you ..." I said, with so much sarcasm, I'd be surprised if even a troll could mistake it for honesty. Goyle looked confused, as if he thought I'd meant it. I felt like hitting him, but instead satisfied my sadism by watching the expression on Potter's face.
The feeble variety of emotions, ranging from righteous anger, to horror, to more anger, was most amusing. Weasley - who had been reading over his pet hero's shoulder - was first to speak, "How'd she find out?"
"What d'you mean 'we all hate Hagrid'?" Potter snarled. I meant 'we' as in Slytherins, and sane people, Potter. But he didn't give me the time to even take a breath to say that, before continuing, "What's this rubbish about him -" he pointed to Crabbe, who had heard the article quoted by Milli, and looked quite smug for some reason, "- getting a bad bite off a Flobberworm? They haven't even got teeth!"
Theo looked on the verge of rolling on the ground with laughter. I, on the other hand, managed to keep a straight face - it's a skill you learn after growing up in the same building as my father, "Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career. Half-giant ... and there was me thinking he's just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young ... none of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all ... they'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha ha ..." I was talking to them on a lower level of speech than I use for Crabbe and Goyle, because I figured they deserved it - they are Gryffindors, after all.
"You -" Potter snarled, looking ready to kill.
"Are you paying attention over there?" the substitute teacher asked loudly, interrupting what I had hoped would be an insult from Potter.
I watched Potter carefully, until he turned to watch the teacher - I doubt he heard a word she said. I, on the other hand, did pay attention, and take notes, on the many magical properties of unicorns, the practical applications of which included healing and antidotes (horn), beauty (hair), and good luck (droppings).
* * *
After that class, even the Gryffindor girls were convinced that this class would be better without the gamekeeper teaching them. Cat, on the other hand, "He'll be back." she said sadly, giving the gamekeeper's hut a resentful look. "Too bad, I do like Professor Grubbly-Plank."
"Is that her name?" Theo asked.
"Yes." Cat confirmed.
I glared at her, "Don't ruin it, Cat! I want to enjoy it while it lasts!"
"You've got three weeks, Draco - enjoy." Cat said coldly, before stalking off to the castle.
"What's got her so upset?" Theo asked.
I shrugged, "No idea."
* * *
End of chapter 22
Author's Notes: Ok, I know the New Year's thing in the last chapter sucked ... but who cares? I've written a new chapter - yay! I do apologise for the delay, though - someone *pointed look at the guilty party - you know who you are* got me addicted to Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic *happy sigh* I've been playing it for the last two weeks! I may take a while for the next chapter too - I apologise. Oh, and it's important that you note - Gryffindors have Herbology when the Slytherins have Transfiguration, therefore only the Slyths will know about what Draco's going to do in Transfiguration class, this chapter.
dragonsprincess: I won't tell you my plans ... except that there will be at least one ferret in my OotP ... whether Draco completes Animagus or not is still debatable *grin*.
Sinical-Sarchasm: Glad you liked - the gift-horse line was one of my favourites *grin*.
dstrbd child: Draco is very selective about who he trusts ... but he's not totally paranoid. Hogwarts takes the best, this is true ... but how did Peter or Neville get in if the likes of Crabbe and Goyle couldn't? Where do you draw the line? I think they draw the line at "total Squib", to be honest. As for how they got into Slytherin ... that will be made apparent in my OotP *evil grin*.
kevin luver: Glad you liked it.
kraeg001: Huh?
Sondra D.: *blink* thank you. *double-blink, rubs her eyes and reads that again* you're kidding, right? I've read The Serpent's Society - I'm not that good! Thanks for the compliment, though ... but I don't think my writing's that good, really.
Hrei-siesn: Ahem, I thought Wednesday said Rowena and Salazar wrote that series of books? I mean, of course Rowena'd not write a book on the Dark Arts.
duochang97: I learned it when I was about ten - mom and dad bought a video of Romeo and Juliet, and insisted I understand it. I remember watching a cartoon spoof of it, not long after that, and literally cringing when that girl said "Romeo, Romeo, where the heck are you, Romeo" *shudder*. I have to say it: Leonardo DeCrapio (not a typo, by the way) is a smug git and I hate everything about him *nods* ... sorry if I offend anyone with that statement, it's just my opinion. I thought it'd be ironic, I mean if three Gryffindor firsties could figure it out, what makes anyone think that all of the older Ravenclaws and Slytherins didn't already know about it? They're the two intelligent houses, after all. Well, the four founders were all good friends for many years - oh, I have plans for the Lexicon to tell Draco stories about its writer *grin*.
Princess of Darkness: ff.net be evil. Not that I'm complaining *wary look at the ever-present-ness of ff.net that allows her to post these fics* I like evilness ... *mutters* as long as it doesn't deprive me of more reviews in future. Anyway, thank - glad you like.
Lolua: *snigger* I thought the logic made sense - however, problems do arise if the person believes they've lost their soul-mate, yes. *grins, picturing masochist!Draco provoking Hermione to slap him, on purpose* nice mental pictures, thanks.
jynzx: Thanks - I'm glad you liked them. Although, I still don't think my ATHSS is that good, really. But if you like it, then *shrugs* I'm not complaining.
angelkas: *totally ignores the song quotes* yeah, Draco would also have killed him, if Theo hadn't planned ahead ... Theo knew this, which is why he had both a "talk his way out of hell" plan, and an escape route from their dorm planned, just to be safe *grin*. Draco's aunt smokes - nothing exotic, just cigarettes, but those are still Muggle drugs (and yet somehow, smoking a pipe isn't, according to Lucius!) ... the woman is based on one of my own aunts, as is the story about the Muggle paper-boy she whacked with her walking stick for leaving the gate open ... honestly, she really did that. *somehow keeping a straight face* crappy handwriting can mean you didn't wash your hands properly last time you went to the bathroom *seconds tick by ... one ... two ... three ... falls over giggling*. Sorry for the tasteless joke ... and thanks for the compliment.
Simply Myself: Can you guess why the Gryffindors were caught? It was all Sirius and James' faults - they made so much noise and commotion at their seventh-year party that they woke McGonagall! Also, she arrived on the scene at midnight, and caught half her house mid-snog *grin* she blamed Sirius and James for setting up the party in the first place, not just making it more "lively", and so none of the other three houses were ever suspected. I loved the Lexicon, too - that's why I asked Akuma-sama if I could use it ... although, my version of it may be somewhat different to his. I also find people dying in movies hilarious.
xenelle: Thanks ... but I'm not giving the plot away in advance.
Bob: Draco's a smart boy - and if Peter could do it in his fifth-or-sixth year, Draco can do it in his fourth-or-fifth. It is complicated, but with enough effort and determination (something Slyths aren't afraid of - "any means, to achieve their ends") it can be done. Draco will not get his hands on all the living books ... although I'm not saying whether or not he will obtain some more of them in the future.
Starre: *blink* why would I answer that? I'm not in the habit of giving away plot in the A/Ns ... although, this fic is very different from ATHSS, there are some similarities, I'm just not saying what they are *grin*.
slytherin-punk-rocker311: I don't see how H/Hr is possible in canon - while Ron has acknowledged the fact Hermione's a girl, Harry still hadn't. Draco, on the other hand, we know next to nothing about in canon, besides that he's a vengeful brat who has it in for Harry because Harry rejected him on the train, and his dad's an evil git and a Death Eater ... that leaves him almost a blank slate for fanfic writers (like me *evil grin*) - we don't know what he really thinks of Hermione beyond having been raised to call her a Mudblood. That and his warning in 4th year to keep her head down while the Death Eaters were causing trouble led me to the D/Hr ship. But if you like H/Hr, that is a good pairing, too, I'm just trying to work on the basic premise of keeping to canon *shrug*. I actually like H/D *grin* but that's never gonna happen, is it?
Elliy: *grins* glad you like it. I always try to turn the supposed bad-guys into sympathetic not-so-bad-really characters ... JKR did it with Voldemort, sorta, but I felt Draco deserved it too. Lucius, I've also wanted to try to make look good (morally - we all know he's drop-dead gorgeous physically *drool*), but I can't see a way to.
oasis: Glad you like.
Kathi: Um ... here's more ...
"Morality has nothing to do with what your attorney tells you." -Judge Judy
Chapter 22 - Skeeter 1 ; Hagrid 0
Classes were due to start the next day. I was at breakfast, when Theo shoved a copy of the Daily Prophet under my nose. Milli, Pansy and Blaise already had their noses buried in their copies of the paper. I read it.
'DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE
Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make
controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special
Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor
'Mad-Eye' Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to
teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused
many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's
well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden
movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks
responsible and kindly, when set beside the part-human
Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures.
Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from
Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of game-
keeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by
Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious
influence over the Headmaster to secure the additional post of
Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many
better-qualified candidates.
An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid
has been using his new-found authority to terrify the students
in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While
Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several
pupils during a series of lessons which many admit to be
'very frightening'.
'I was attacked by a Hippogriff, and my friend Vincent
Crabbe got a bad bite off a Flobberworm,' says Draco Malfoy,
a fourth-year student. 'We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too
scared to say anything.'
I stopped reading there, "Milli!"
Milli looked up from her copy of the paper, "I thought you said she couldn't write anything libellous about me? She's misquoted me." I said coldly.
"Hmmm ... so she has." Milli said, taking out her 'autograph', and re-reading the legalese, "I think she can get away with misquotes, as long as she gets the gist of your meaning."
"I never said I'm afraid of that oaf!" I snapped.
Milli frowned, "Maybe her Dicta-Quill took that liberty?" she suggested.
"Sue her." I said coldly.
"I can't. This is a magically binding contract, not a legal contract. It magically forces the person who signs it to adhere to it, it can't stand up in court if she found a way around it, besides, we did trick her into signing it in the first place, which in itself is illegal."
I scowled at the paper for a minute, "She left out at least three quarters of what I said about that Hippogriff, and edited 'Crabbe got bitten by a Flobberworm' to 'my friend Vincent Crabbe -' he is not my friend, and I never use his first name! '- got a bad bite off a Flobberworm' I don't even talk like that, do I?"
Milli sighed, "It's called journalistic licence. Get used to it if you want to be in the spotlight, Draco."
"And my exact quote had been 'we all hate Hagrid, but Dumbledore doesn't seem to care what Slytherins think'." I added petulantly.
"Get over it." Milli said dismissively, "It still got the point across."
"It made me sound like a prissy sissy little coward." I snapped.
"Would you rather sound like a Gryffindor?" Milli snapped right back.
"No, but I'd rather not sound like a wimp."
"You are a wimp, Draco - you ran screaming from your first ever detention." Theo said cheerfully.
"That was because I happened to almost trip over a freshly-murdered unicorn." I snarled at him.
Theo just sniggered, not seeming to care. I growled. "Just read the rest of the article, Draco." Theo said calmly. Giving him one more petulant glare, I read on.
' Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimida-
tion, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last
month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed 'Blast-
Ended Skrewts', highly dangerous crosses between manticores
and fire crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is,
of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department
for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, it
seems, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions.
'I was just having some fun,' he says, before hastily chang-
ing the subject.
As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now
unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not - as he has always
pretended - a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure
human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other
than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently
unknown.'
"He's part-giant?" I asked, surprised. Theo gave me a 'duh' look, and I thought for a second, "I guess it's kinda obvious, when you think about it." I muttered.
"Yeah." Theo said in a semi-sarcastic tone, "I'm surprised you missed how he's twice the height of a normal person, thinks dangerous creatures are cute and cuddly, is thick as Crabbe or Goyle, and his first reaction to someone being rude to him or his friends is 'crush, smash, destroy' ... and with his size, I mean literally."
I glared at him, "I thought he was just a Gryffindor who swallowed a bottle of Skele-Grow, or something." I said coldly.
Theo pondered this concept, "I guess there's not much difference, huh?" he asked, grinning ... then "Read on."
' Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to
the point of extinction by warring among themselves during
the last centuary. The handful that remained joined the ranks
of He Who Must Not Be Named, and were responsible for
some of the worst mass Muggle-killings of his reign of terror.
While many giants who served He Who Must Not Be
Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark side,
Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to
one of the giant communities still existing in foreign moun-
tain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures
lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa's son appears to
have inherited her brutal nature.
In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a
close friendship with the boy who brought about You-Know-
Who's fall from power - thereby driving Hagrid's own mother,
like the rest of You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding.
Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about
his large friend - but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to
ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is
warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants.'
"How does she end up turning everything she writes into either an attack on the Ministry, or Potter-centric crap?" I asked coldly.
"Cute word, Draco." Theo muttered - I hit him.
"It's called talent, Draco." Milli said, "It's what her readers want to hear, so it's what she does with every item she writes."
"It's annoying. The attacks on the Ministry are fun, but why must she fawn over Potter?" I growled.
"Because most people who read the Prophet like the brat." Blaise said, folding her copy of the Prophet, and putting it away carefully in her pocket.
"Theo, can I have this paper?" I asked.
"Sure." Theo replied - he already had his nose buried in a copy of the Quibbler.
"Thanks." I said, putting the Prophet in my pocket carefully - I wasn't going to put that article in my scrapbook, but it was still good to have.
* * *
I scared the hell out of McGonagall in our first Transfiguration lesson, by Transfiguring Theo's hair into live snakes, and back again, just to see how she'd react. "How - how did you do that, Mr Malfoy?" she asked, when she got her breath back again - everyone was watching me now.
"I think it's called Transfiguration, Professor ... but you're the expert." I said innocently.
Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly for a few moments, then she said, "I believe transfiguring aspects of humans into inhuman objects or creatures is seventh year material."
"I think you're right." I said, nodding.
"Then how, prey tell, did you manage to cast that spell successfully, on Mr Nott?"
"Um ... I read ahead, Professor. After that accident with the badger thing, I wanted to be able to do human transformations, so I've been working on this class more." I said, semi-honestly.
"Although." Theo said, looking in a mirror Blaise had handed him, "This time he got my hair back to normal."
McGonagall pursed her lips, "So I see. What other human transformation spells have you been practicing, Mr Malfoy?" she asked suspiciously - I decided it would be a bad idea to admit that I could turn my fingernails into claws successfully, so instead I said, "Well, I'm pretty certain I could give Crabbe and Goyle donkey ears and tails if you'd like?"
Her lip twitched in a well concealed attempt at a smile, while the whole class (except Crabbe and Goyle, who just looked stupid as per usual) sniggered, before she gave me a stern look, "That will not be necessary, Mr Malfoy. Just pay attention to turning the hamster you were given into a stuffed toy of something that is not a hamster, as per your instructions for the -"
"I've already finished, look." I said, holding up a plush version of the rubber duck that had been found by one of the Slytherins last year. Theo squeaked when he saw it.
McGonagall's right eye twitched, "If only every student put as much effort into their studies - you used to be barely passing this class." she said, sighing.
I smirked, and continued to surreptitiously vanish Theo's parchment, which contained his copy of the instructions for that day's homework, inch by inch. It's a fundamental fact that when you are either too smart for the class or - as in this case - have worked ahead and know the work already, you get bored and usually start causing trouble. When I was in the fourth year of my primary school, my teacher thought I was mentally subnormal because I spent half my time flicking pieces of parchment at other students ... truth was I'd finished the work and was bored. My parents took great delight in the fact that the psych-healer she referring me to for 'learning disorders' all-but laughed in her face at this idea, and I took even more delight in passing my exams that year with 142% (a school record) and rubbing her nose in it.
* * *
We were walking down to Care of Dangerous Beasts class, when we saw - to our great relief - that there was no great oaf of a gamekeeper there today ... Blaise had told us she'd thought that he'd be hiding, and her logic is impeccable (why else would anyone take Arithmancy, if they weren't good with probabilities?), so we weren't surprised. The Gryffindorks were gathered around a woman I'd never seen before - I barely caught the words, "Where's Hagrid?" from Potter.
And "He is indisposed." from the woman.
Theo whispered to me, "Substitute teacher?" with an evil grin on his face.
"Don't mess with her, Theo - anyone, even Lockhart-turned-drag-queen, would be better than that half-breed." I replied quickly.
All the rest of the Slytherins around me started laughing at that - probably more at the image of Lockhart as a drag queen than anything else, but who cares?
"She looks nothing like Lockhart." Theo noted, as if I'd been suggesting she did. I hit him.
Then the woman said, "This way please." she led us around the paddock in which the Beauxbatons horses were kept.
Potter persisted in pestering the new professor, as to the half-giant's whereabouts, but I didn't hear him, because, "So, did anyone catch her name?" Pansy asked.
"Nope." Theo replied cheerfully.
"I didn't hear it." I added.
"I doubt it's worth asking them?" Pansy commented, giving Crabbe and Goyle a mildly disdainful look.
"Definitely not." I said calmly.
"And the other two girls were way behind me." Pansy muttered.
"Well, here's a novel idea, Pans -" Theo started, but was interrupted when we all rounded the corner, and every girl in the class started oooing and ahing, like they were looking at the most beautiful thing they had ever seen - I looked up and realised that my assumption was about accurate - there was a unicorn tethered at the edge of the Forest. It was such a beautiful pure white, it made the untouched snow look like the filthy slush from underneath a car or a carriage. "Wow, a unicorn." Theo muttered, totally forgetting what he'd been about to suggest to Pansy, "I've never seen anything like it."
"Spec-bloody-tacular." I heard the Irish Gryffindolt say.
I kicked him hard, in the back of the knee, "Go suck a Blast-Ended Skrewt, Finnegan." I growled.
"What's got up your nose, Malfoy?" he asked, turning on me.
"Your use of swear-words. Quit it and I might not hit you again." I growled.
He blinked, stared for a second, then shrugged and returned his attention to the unicorn. Theo was giving me an odd look - he knew exactly what had pissed me off, and for once looked like he wasn't going to comment.
"Boys, keep back!" the teacher said sharply, "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns."
"Not sure about women, but Malfoy'll be ok, he's a girl." Finnegan could be heard to mutter - I kicked him again.
"Girls to the front, and approach with care. Come on, easy does it ..." the teacher continued, oblivious to Finnegan's comment. She led the girls over towards the unicorn, and I glowered at the woman - I may be a biased, racist brat, but I hate to be discriminated against ... ok, so add hypocritical to that list, then.
I was distracted from my fuming by Potter's irritating voice, "What d'you reckon's wrong with him? You don't think a Skrewt -?"
I had to interrupt him - he was being annoying, and distracting me from being pissed at the substitute teacher, "Oh, he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking." not physically attacked, anyway.
"What d'you mean?" Potter asked me, coldly.
I smirked slightly, and took out the article from the previous day's paper, I'd already read it anyway - and if I let him read it, I'd never want to touch it again anyway, so I gave it to the brat. It's worth it, he obviously hasn't read it, and it'd upset the golden boy so well, "There you go. Hate to break it to you ..." I said, with so much sarcasm, I'd be surprised if even a troll could mistake it for honesty. Goyle looked confused, as if he thought I'd meant it. I felt like hitting him, but instead satisfied my sadism by watching the expression on Potter's face.
The feeble variety of emotions, ranging from righteous anger, to horror, to more anger, was most amusing. Weasley - who had been reading over his pet hero's shoulder - was first to speak, "How'd she find out?"
"What d'you mean 'we all hate Hagrid'?" Potter snarled. I meant 'we' as in Slytherins, and sane people, Potter. But he didn't give me the time to even take a breath to say that, before continuing, "What's this rubbish about him -" he pointed to Crabbe, who had heard the article quoted by Milli, and looked quite smug for some reason, "- getting a bad bite off a Flobberworm? They haven't even got teeth!"
Theo looked on the verge of rolling on the ground with laughter. I, on the other hand, managed to keep a straight face - it's a skill you learn after growing up in the same building as my father, "Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career. Half-giant ... and there was me thinking he's just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young ... none of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all ... they'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha ha ..." I was talking to them on a lower level of speech than I use for Crabbe and Goyle, because I figured they deserved it - they are Gryffindors, after all.
"You -" Potter snarled, looking ready to kill.
"Are you paying attention over there?" the substitute teacher asked loudly, interrupting what I had hoped would be an insult from Potter.
I watched Potter carefully, until he turned to watch the teacher - I doubt he heard a word she said. I, on the other hand, did pay attention, and take notes, on the many magical properties of unicorns, the practical applications of which included healing and antidotes (horn), beauty (hair), and good luck (droppings).
* * *
After that class, even the Gryffindor girls were convinced that this class would be better without the gamekeeper teaching them. Cat, on the other hand, "He'll be back." she said sadly, giving the gamekeeper's hut a resentful look. "Too bad, I do like Professor Grubbly-Plank."
"Is that her name?" Theo asked.
"Yes." Cat confirmed.
I glared at her, "Don't ruin it, Cat! I want to enjoy it while it lasts!"
"You've got three weeks, Draco - enjoy." Cat said coldly, before stalking off to the castle.
"What's got her so upset?" Theo asked.
I shrugged, "No idea."
* * *
End of chapter 22