Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything in the franchise is the property of J.K. Rowling, Dungeons & Dragons is a property of TSR. Rating is PG-13 for mild violence and swearing, may turn to R in later chapters.
Harry Potter & the Coming of the Dragon
Chapter 5-Detention
It was a very subdued Harry Potter that exited the DADA classroom and was immediately surrounded by his friends. "Harry, what did he want, what's the matter?" Ron spoke with worry, "you look like somebody snapped your broom."
Straightening and realizing for the first time that his friends were there he answered, "Hey Ron, you lot didn't have to wait for me. What time is it anyway, I have to be in the dungeons for Snapes detention by six tonight."
Hermione, answering for Ron said "Harry the door had just closed, you've been in there alone with the professor for probably less than two seconds."
Harry gazed at her uncomprehendingly. He and the Elf Lord had spent at least an hour exploring the woodlands and talking. When Jayxom had finished explaining to him the reasons behind the need for his help they had walked back by starlight returned to Hogwarts. They would be seeing Dumbledore in the morning and would begin making preparations for the Link that Jayxom wished to perform with him.
Alec, noticing the other boy's distraction said, "He told you then?" Harry simply nodded to the other boy as his friends both started talking at once trying to find out what could have been said that would have such an effect on him.
"Ron, Hermione, please don't ask," he said, "I can't tell you yet, not here." With that the boy hunched his shoulders and walked away, looking as if the weight of the world had been set upon them.
Harry sat with his friends during dinner, barely eating and not participating at all in his friend's conversation. His eyes were drawn, with everybody else's, when Snape came storming to the head table with Blaise Zabini in tow. Nobody could follow what was actually said but the gist of the conversation could be guessed from the individual professors actions.
Snape had come around the table and directly to the Elf lord. Whatever was said it was spoken with great venom. Not getting the desired reaction from the subject of his tirade he stood back and furiously pulled his wand and began casting a spell. The entire hall was shocked to their feet when it exploded in the potions masters' hand with a lout snap.
Jayxom, until then not even taking any obvious notice of the man, rose and went to the fallen wizard. Kneeling and taking the burned, bleeding hand in his own he closed his eyes. The pained expression on Snapes face suddenly changed to one of astonishment tinged with fear. Harry watched as, Jayxom's other hand came to rest on the other man's brow as they both grew completely still.
They remained motionless for several moments until the potions master ripped himself away with a snarl and swept out of the hall just short of running. Jayxom stood, watching the man go with a sad look upon his face. Going back to his seat he nodded quickly to Dumbledore and continued his meal.
Harry miserably pushed around the remains of his meal until his friends, giving up on getting him to eat stood to walk back to their common room. Wishing Alec and his friends goodbye, as they would be headed to their own tower, the three left the great hall.
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Later that evening Harry stood outside the potions classroom trying to build up the nerve to enter. Snape, leaving the great hall that evening, had been the angriest he had seen him since using the professor's pensive last year. The idea of dealing his with the kind of abuse the man would spill out on top of all else that had happened that day made him feel absolutely queasy. Finally steeling himself, he squared his shoulders and entered.
Inside, the room seemed bleaker than usual. Either the lack of friends around him or the anticipation of the next two hours made the room seem more like a prison cell. Placing his books on their now restored desk he decided to gather the components necessary for the re-constitution of their potion while he waited for Malfoy and the professor.
He had set up the Cauldron and gathered most of the items he would need and had gone back to the supply closet one last time to retrieve the unicorn tears that had caused the entire mess when he heard voices coming from the other side of a door nearby. "I'm fine Draco, leave me be. I am not injured, and you should be more concerned completing this detention and keeping your head around Potter. Now forget about Silverheart I do not expect to hear of you planning any vengeance on the man. You don't understand how dangerous he is, nor did I until tonight."
"But Severus, what did he do to you?" Draco's voice sounded concerned, "Your wand exploded I'd thought you'd lost your hand."
As the voices got closer to the door, Harry made a dash back to the table not wanting it to seem like he had been eavesdropping. With a characteristic swish of his robes, the potions master entered the room followed by his godson. Seeing Potter already at the desk his mood looked to become even worse as he strode across to the boy. "Mr. Potter, ten points from Gryffindor for beginning without my permission." Leaning over the Harry's desk he put his face very close to the boy's own. "You will learn to follow my instructions implicitly or you will be removed from this course."
Feeling another gaze upon him the boy looked to his left to see Draco Malfoy, not sneering, as he would have expected but with a look of near-total hatred on his face. Startled, the boy took a step back, half reaching for his wand expecting an attack. The other simply cocked his head and his face transformed into the cool aristocratic mien that he normally wore.
They worked in silence, Harry was surprised, Snape, watching their progress over folded hands said nothing either to encourage Draco or to harass him. At last the potion was done and sealed. The professor took the vial, marked it and told the two boys to clean their area and he would return shortly to release them. As the door closed behind the potions master, Draco whirled on Harry and shoved the boy hard on the chest. "What the hell did that freakish friend of yours do to Professor Snape?"
Surprised by the physical attack, he stumbled backwards pulling his wand out of his robes. Before he could think of a spell to cast his legs became tangled with the stool behind him and he fell, sending the wand skittering across the floor. Not about to lose the upper hand the Slytherin jumped over the chair to land on his nemesis' chest, knocking the wind from him. Harry, more used to this kind of fighting thanks to Dudley, quickly levered the taller boy off of him and they began to wrestle on the floor.
The boys traded punches and kicks, cursing and growling like animals. Images of Sirius, Cedric and all the injustices against him and his friends over the years flowed shot through him like lightning, filling him with rage and pain. Harry felt rage from years of abuse boiling up inside him and come screaming out of him as he pummelled the other boy. Draco was fighting his own demons as well as he wrestled with the raven-haired Gryffindor.
Raised in a home devoid of feeling, his father consumed with his devotion to the Dark Lord, the boy had striven futilely to gain notice and approval of his father. His mother, wrapped in her own world of social events and politics had left him in the care of their house elves and a myriad of tutors over the years. When he had entered Hogwarts and had come in contact with 'the golden boy' and his friends he became useful to his father and he had assumed that he would finally get the acceptance he craved.
As time passed at Hogwarts, however, failure after failure at either killing or kidnapping the boy was blamed on Draco. Instead of the affection and praise that he had hoped for he was insulted and even tortured with 'crucio' for not living up to expectations. When his father had been arrested, Draco had been now cast away not only by his father, but by the entire world as well. All that was left to him was a mother who barely spoke to him and a godfather that had to hide his affection for the boy for his own protection. Now Harry's new 'buddy' had hurt him and he was going to make him pay.
They continued for many minutes, screaming out at each other all the hidden secrets that drove them. In the end they had completely destroyed the classroom, they both lay on the floor by each other too tired and injured to fight anymore. Turning to the blond haired boy with his one eye that would still open, Harry spoke, "I'm sorry."
Turning over to face his nemesis the boy squinted at him. "Of course you are Potter," the comeback coming without thought, "What are you sorry about?" "Your mum and dad. I mean I thought they gave you everything you wanted. I don't even remember mine except that last bit when Voldemort came after us."
Slowly working himself up to a sitting position, the raven-haired Gryffindor looked about the room and surveyed the damage. "You realize that Snape is going to kill us for wrecking his classroom."
Malfoy, not even bothering to attempt to rise replied, "You know he can just go ahead, after this last bit I think it'd be mercy."
Struggling to his feet, Harry held out a scuffed and slightly bloody hand to the other boy. Groaning in protest the blond Slytherin took the hand and allowed himself to be hauled to a standing position as well. Leaning themselves against some broken desks the boys talked, civilly for once, first about the fight and then wandering off into the new students, their teacher and even quidich. Finally running out of things to say to each other Draco looked about the room and said, "I guess we'd best clean up this mess, Professor Snape will be back soon"
What the boys hadn't known is that the professor had never truly left. When the fight had first broken out he had turned to put and end to it when he found his way blocked by the elf. Frightened of the man but concerned with the welfare of his godson he had demanded that the man get out of his way. Refusing to budge, Jayxom assured the man the boys would be all right and needed this time.
Casting a one-way transparency charm on the door, the two men watched the fight progress to its conclusion. "I understand your pain Severus, as would both of those boys in there if you gave them a chance. Both are sons of their fathers but men in their own right. Please don't hold a grudge for others sins." With that the elf vanished leaving the Professor to deal with his students.
They had started half-heartedly turning some of the surviving desks back onto their legs and Draco asked, "You don't really think we can make this look like nothing happened do you?"
Harry turned to respond when the professor's voice cut in, "No Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, I do not think that you can." Walking in and surveying the damage to his precious equipment, the Slytherin head of house continued. "You will both report to Madame Pomfrey in the infirmary immediately. As to your punishment," Harry's heart nearly stopped, fearing the worst, "It seems that you have taken care of that for yourselves quite enough for one day. Now be gone as I somehow doubt you will wish to be present when Mr. Filch arrives to clean up this."
Both boys quickly picked up what was left of their school supplies for the door but as Harry reached for the handle, Draco stopped him. "You know, Potter, this still doesn't make us friends."
Nodding the boy noted that it had been said without a shred of malice. "No, I mean we kind of arsed that up our first year didn't we?"
Both boys looked at each other for a moment and Draco put out his hand, "Pleased to meet you, my name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Taking the blonde's hand, he returned, "I'm Harry Potter."