(5)A Traitor Among Us
It was the first day of October & the morning dawned bright & hot. Harry rolled out of bed. Thinking the darkest of thought, he got dressed. It was also the first day of detention with Snape! Harry & Merida's term with Mcgonagall was finished, much to the dismay of Merida! Mcgonagall was her favourite teacher & having detention under her command was no problem for Merida! Harry's thoughts became even darker. He would also be stuck with Draco for a week! Then he wondered, there was something different about Draco. He had been avoiding Harry & Merida for the past week or so!
"Stay out of my way tonight, Draco!" Harry snapped the moment he stepped through the door.
"I can do whatever I want in my Head Boy's office!" Draco sneered.
"Not if the Head Boy's daughter has anything to do with it!" Merida warned as she headed for her desk.
Draco glanced nervously at her! "Well, I'm sure he's happy to see his daughter with a Potter!" Draco burst out laughing! "It rhymes! Daughter with a Potter!" Merida glowered but kept her eyes on her desk, praying to Merlin that her father would arrived in the next few seconds before another fight broke out! Harry, Draco & Merida were a bit early.
"You! Are! DEAD!" Harry threw himself onto Draco!
"Harry! Draco!" Merida yelped. "Oh, please stop! Father will be here any sec.....ond!" He just walked in!
"Stop that at once!" Snape waved his wand warily at them. "Merlin's sake! That's why you're in here in the first place!"
Harry & Draco jumped to their feet. "He started it!" They pointed at each other! "No, I didn't! You did!"
"I don't care who started it!" Snape snapped. "I'll finish it! Mr. Malfoy? You have to tell them!!"
"What?" Draco looked at Snape as if he had gone insane.
"Now, Malfoy!"
"Why?"
"Because it's the least they deserve!" Snape said. "Now you tell them, or I will!"
Draco kept his eyes off Harry & looked at Merida. "I'm---er---I'mpartVeelamyself!" he winced.
Harry & Merida stared at Draco. Snape, however, thought the matter was closed & proceeded to set them to their detention.
"What?" Harry ignored Snape.
"You heard!" Draco muttered, also ignoring Snape.
"Not now, father!" Merida pushed the schoolwork aside. "Is this some kind of joke, Draco? & you got my father to side with you?"
"Excuse me?" Snape & Draco yelped at once!
"It's true!" Draco declared.
"Yes, I was rather surprised, myself when he told me!" Snape said. "Draco is part Veela! Now as you may or may not know, Veela males have bad tempers so from now on, try not to fight!" He glared first at Harry & then Draco & finally Merida. "Now can we get on with this?"
"Hang on!" Merida thought of something. "I can see what's going on, here!"
"What now?" Snape muttered.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Merida glowered at him.
"Did what?"
"Put me & Draco together! You're trying to bust me & Harry up aren't you?" said Merida.
"Bust you & Harry up?" Draco scoffed. "Ooooo! Harry & Merida sitting in the Whomping Willow tree--!"
"Silence!" Snape snapped. "If my daughter wants to ruin her life by being with Potter, then there's nothing I can do about it! No, Merida, I didn't do this on purpose!" Snape sat at his desk. "Oh & Malfoy? Don't give my daughter any more ideas then she already has! Whomping Willow, indeed!"
Harry dug his nails into his palms, trying to keep a straight face! He glanced at Draco who smiled back but for once, without showing any malice! Merida glanced at Draco once & then turned to her homework. That first week of detention passed by easily despite the fact that Draco, Harry, Snape & Merida were all in the same room, alone! The last three weeks for Merida were very different!
"So how'd it go?" Harry asked as Merida joined him after her first day on the duelling floor!
"I was on my back half the time!" Merida retorted. Harry gazed at her. "Most of the time, actually!" Harry continued to stare! "Oh, FINE! ALL the time!" Merida finally told the truth!
"That bad, huh?" Harry laughed.
"He's too fast!" Merida defended. "I'm not allowed to use Silencio & even if I could, I can't get a spell in edge-wise! I would need to Immobulois him!"
"That isn't allowed in duels either!" said Harry. "It wouldn't be fair to the one's who's immobulised!"
"It isn't?" Merida exclaimed. "& just when was he going to tell me that?! Besides, I'm quite sure he cheats! So I should be able to cheat as well!"
"What makes you think he cheats?" asked Harry.
"Half the spells he used, I never heard before!" Merida said in disgust. "It has to be black magic! You know, some stuff he learned while posing as a Death Eater?" she rolled her eyes.
"Hey, you two!" Neville suddenly appeared with Ron following. "Quit standing around, chatting! You'll be late for Mcgonagall's class!"
"We'd better run!" Harry said.
"Oh, we'll be right there!" said Ron. "It is kinda cool to see her change from her cat animagic to her human self! And she doesn't even need Mystique!"
"True," laughed Merida. "but she can only have one animal shape, which is a house cat!"
"Come, on!" Harry pleaded. "This is actually the third time in a row that we're late a bit for her class!"
Merida dropped her books in her haste. "Oooh! Go on! I'll catch up!"
"But---!" Harry started.
"Just go!" Merida ordered. "I'll be right there!" She snatched up her books as the boys disappeared around the corner. Merida grabbed her books more securely & began to run for Mcgonagall's class-------& right into Argus Filch, the castle caretaker! Cat & books went flying out of control!
"Mmmmmmmeeeowww!" Mrs. Norris landed with a splat onto the floor! She hissed at Merida & Filch.
"Got you!" Filch grabbed Merida's collar. "Well, well what have we here?" he smiled sinisterly. "Running in the halls? Late for class? Shall I add AGAIN?! Terrorizing my cat? I'd say that calls for detention! Oh, that's right! You're already stuck in detention for the rest of this month with Severus! Let's go back there right now!"
"Please, sir!" Merida pleaded. "I don't want to go back to the Potions Master! I have to get to Mcgonagall's class!"
"Oh, hush!" Filch snapped. "I've been waiting to get you & your father together for a long time!"
Merida stared at him! Mcgonagall had said all the Professors knew about Merida being Snape's daughter but Filch was not a Professor! "What makes you say he's my father?"
"Oh, I know all about it!" Filch laughed. "Let's go!"
"No!" Merida wriggled free from Filch & fled.
"Miss Snape, get back here!" Filch ran after her but being an old man, he was a bit slow. Merida rounded the corner & glanced around for a place to hide. It was fortunate she had Mystique on her! She became a sparrow & flew up into the rafters. "Where are you?" Filch appeared moments later. "You can't hide! I've been waiting a long time to see you & your father destroyed!" A little bird flew past his ear, startling him. "Show yourself!" he snapped as he regained control of himself.
The bird flew to the Potions classroom & entered as Draco opened it to come out. No one else but Snape was inside. The bird landed in front of him & Merida returned to her human self. But she didn't have a chance to say anything!
"What are you doing?" Snape glared at her. "You're late for Minerva's class! No excuses Merida!"
"Filch wants us dead!" Merida yelped.
Snape sat down behind his desk. "You mean he wants you dead!" he muttered, not believing her. "What did you do? Kill his cat?"
"Are you not telepathic?" Merida raised her voice. "Use that charm on me this instant or I will turn you over to Voldomort!"
Appalled at hearing the Dark Lord's name, Snape slammed his wand so hard to his desk that Merida felt sure there would be a mark on it & his desk! "I don't know what you're trying to pull, little Missy!" Snape's voice was also raised. "But end it here & now! Legillimus!" He entered her mind! After a few moments, he returned to reality. "Wait here!" He picked up his wand & left.
"I know you're here, Miss Snape!" Filch was still wandering the empty hall, looking for her!
"Try PROFESSOR Snape!" He grabbed Filch around the collar & held him up. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for your wayward daughter!" Filch said, as he squirmed free of Snape's grip.
"You do not want me as your enemy, Argus!" Snape warned in a low voice, dragging him down to the floor. Realising he was caught, Filch pulled out a small knife. "Expelliaramus!" Snape commanded & the knife flew out of Filch's hand. He grabbed Filch around the arm & exposed his Death Mark!
"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out before this!" Filch sneered. "Especially after Umbridge was here for a while as an actual Professor!"
"Yes, you were rather friendly with her!" Snape muttered. "& that also explains why Bellatrix knew Merida was here!"
"Very good, Severus! Yes!" Filch smiled evilly.
"Why would the Master want you?" Snape asked. "You don't have any magic in you!"
"I may not be magical," said Filch. "but I can spy just fine! I'm Hogwarts castle Caretaker! I joined after you left! I took your place!"
Mrs. Norris came running to her master but Snape snatched her up & held the knife to her throat. "If anything happens to Merida, your cat will die!" Snape knew that more than anything, Filch would want to protect his cat! He pocketed the knife & pulled out his wand. "Move, Argus! Albus's office, or you'll wish you had!" Snape threw Filch in the door when they reached the office. "Headmaster, I have found a spy!" Snape showed Dumbledore Filch's Mark. "He has been plotting with the Dark Lord against me & Merida!"
Dumbledore glared at Filch! "I gave you a home here. Made you Caretaker. Now you betray us? Never once have you failed me, until now!"
"You honestly think I would betray everyone?" Filch sneered.
"I'm as Occlument as Severus!" Dumbledore declared. "Shall I use that on you right now?"
"Why didn't you do that a long time ago?" Filch taunted.
"You gave us no reason to distrust you!" Dumbledore said. "You will go to Azkaban, now. Leave him here with me Severus!"
Snape began moving to the door. "My cat?" Filch glanced at Mrs. Norris.
Snape whirled around. "She will remain here as insurance that Merida is safe!" With that, he left, carrying the cat away!
