Dearest readers, I am so sorry to be delivering this chapter weeks after I had planned to post it, but real life has given me hard and straining times AND this site was down, too. Times are over, uploading is possible again, chapters will follow sooner from now on. Promise!

zalil

Chapter 6 – Plotting

After Transfiguration they had lunch and some time for themselves. Hermione led the boys to a hidden corner in the library and they told her what they had found.

"..but we hexed it and closed the door in its face." Draco finished smugly.

Hermione pulled out a book from behind her. " 'Cerberos, Greek beast. Resembling a large dog with three heads the Cerberos is one of the most ancient beings in the world. It is extremely dangerous yet unbelievably tame when treated right. The Cerberos has highly sensitive ears and is very responsive to sounds. For hundreds of years many wizards died in the fight against a large specimen near Athens until one day a stray shepherd discovered- ' The page is torn here..."

"Wonderful. Now we don't know what he discovered," Draco sulked.

"Yes, we do," Hermione contradicted. "At least we know it's got something to do with his ears.. maybe we should attack his ears? Or pet them?" They shuddered. Harry didn't think that anyone – however brave they might be – would want to get as near to the monster as would be necessary to pet it, let alone touch it. Except for–

"Hagrid!" Harry exclaimed suddenly. If there was someone who loved monsters more than anything else in his life, then it was Hagrid.

"The gamekeeper?"

"That great oaf? What's he got to do with the beast? Apart from the size, I mean..." Draco smirked.

"He's my friend," Harry went on with a sharp glance at Draco, "and he knows all about animals, magical as muggle."

Hermione studied his face for some time. "Could you wheedle that bit of information out of him?"

Harry thought about Hagrid. "Why not? I mean, as long as he doesn't know about this particular Cerberos, he'll tell me –"

"What are you three doing back here?" Madam Pince, the librarian appeared around the corner and scolded them for hiding there. "You're just waiting for the opportunity to sneak into the forbidden section, I'm sure. Now, off you go unless you have a permission..?"

They hastily shook their heads and hurried to get out of the library, though not without a longing glance at the red cord that separated the open from the forbidden part.

Harry suggested trying to find the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom already since their next lesson was about to start in a quarter of an hour anyway. On their way they met Professor Quirrel who was looking a bit distracted and stuttered that he was glad to meet them since he seemed to have lost his way.

Feeling a bit strange about leading a teacher to his classroom they went on without looking back at him, though their gazes repeatedly found each others'. Harry felt especially reluctant to turn his back on the bizarre man and pretended to have forgotten his DADA books. He didn't return to his dorm, but went the familiar way to Severus' quarters. He whispered the password and entered.

Severus was not here and the room seemed empty and deserted without him.

Harry left him a note saying that he missed him and that he'd visit him as soon as he had time. Thinking about Severus reading the paper, he smiled. He'd try to look as disgusted as he could

and then snort derisively 'Please don't.' But Harry knew he was anxious to hear how Harry liked his new life.

On the way back Harry passed the staff room and heard Severus talking inside. He briefly pondered knocking and asking for a minute with Severus, but then he caught the words 'danger for the children' and 'Devil's Snare'.

Well, the Snare sure was a danger for the children. Due to Severus' private tutoring Harry knew a fair bit about Herbology, which was absolutely crucial for Potion making.

Unfortunately Harry didn't remember anything about the Devil's Snare except that it was a dangerous plant and he could not imagine why someone would keep it on school grounds.

The conversation was still going on but Severus' voice grew louder. Harry realized that he was coming closer to the door and hurried on down the corridor. He didn't want him to think he was eavesdropping.

A few seconds thereafter the door opened and Severus stormed down the corridor toward the dungeons. He didn't notice Harry walking in the opposite direction.

Harry entered his class at the right moment. Quirrel was just about to tell them all about garlic and its many, many uses. Nobody paid attention to him and Harry got himself a seat next to Draco. Draco scutinized him closely. "Where did you go?" he whispered curiously.

"Not important. What do you know about the Devil's Snare?"

Somebody threw a piece of garlic at Quirrel, who ducked and continued his speech from behind his desk, almost crawling underneath it.

Draco snorted. "As much as I want to know - nothing. What do you know?"

Smiling, Harry said, "One is somewhere on school grounds. And I think we know where the dangerous things are placed here."

Draco's eyes glinted. "I think you should have a talk with your big friend soon."

As if called for, Balthazar swept down onto Harry's breakfast on Friday morning, bringing a note from Hagrid. It was an invitation for tea, Hagrid wanted to know all about how Harry was doing at school. On the note there were strange dark red stains; Draco claimed it was blood and had to do with the monster dog; Harry, who knew that Hagrid was a fan of beetroot, didn't quite believe this dramatic version.

He immediately wrote back 'Expect me around four. Harry' and sent Balthazar back. Several of the students stared in awe as the impressive eagle-owl took off, flew a round above the Gryffindor table for show and then disappeared again through a window.

The first class this day was their first Potions lesson with the Gryffindors. Harry was thrilled to see how much the other students already knew, and, of course, how Severus acted in proper lessons.

Harry, Draco and Blaise went down to the dungeons earlier than the rest, not wanting to displease the head of their house in the first lesson already. True enough, Snape appeared strictly on time and shut the door behind him with a loud thump. The students sat in silence, waiting for him to begin. Suddenly footsteps and shouting was heard from the corridor outside and four Gryffindors stormed in, among them the red-head and what seemed to be his best friend, a blond boy with a terrible Irish accent.

"So kind of you to grace us with the favour of your presence," Snape started in a sickly sweet voice. "Is there anything I can do for you, Mr...?"

The red-head squirmed uneasily and searched the room for an empty seat on the Gryffindor side. "Weasley. No, thanks –"

"WHO do you think you are?" Severus suddenly bellowed. "You will adress me as 'Professor' or 'Sir' at all times. Tomorrow I'll be waiting for your essays on 'How to properly adress a teacher', twenty inches; 'When to arrive for a lesson', thirty inches and 'Why insulting Slytherins is not good for you', fourty inches. Yes, I heard what you called Mr. Malfoy in his absence."

Harry and Draco looked at each other, barely holding back their glee – and surprise, they really hadn't heard what he had called Draco, though, frankly, they couldn't care any less.

"By tomorrow??" Weasley asked, horrified. "All three essays by tomorrow? That's not enough time!"

Severus smirked. "No, not all three essays,"

Weasley sighed in relief.

"- all four of them, including 'Why not to question a teacher's decision', fifty inches. And your friends can thank you for ten points from Gryffindor."

The Gryffindor side groaned and many threw dark looks at the completely baffled boy. He took a place in the last row then and tried not to attract more attention.

Severus then turned to Harry. "Ah, Mr. Potter, our new – celebrity."

The Gryffindor's laughed, plainly expecting Harry to get the same treatment as Weasley, but Harry wasn't afraid, he hadn't done any wrong.

Snape threw a dark look at them and they immediately silenced.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began in a low voice. Harry's mind trailed away. He had heard this speech so many times before.. he couldn't pay attention anymore. Severus had actually practised it in front of the mirror, like every year's speech.

".. as I ususally have to teach." he finished and glanced at the Gryffindor side. Of course they'd behave like every year's dunderheads, but this year at least some promising students had joined Hogwarts. Harry knew from Severus that Draco was quite talented and of course he counted himself. If there was one thing he could do (apart from annoying Severus, he could do that like noone else) it was brewing potions. Could that be a solution to their investigations? A potion?

Harry blocked Severus out again and nudged Draco's shoulder. "I know a way to get into the restricted section!" Draco stared blankly at him, he had been absorbing every single word of Severus' speech up to that moment.

"A way to get.." he repeated vacantly.

"A way to get into the forbidden part of the library, yes!"

At the word 'forbidden' Draco snapped out of his near-trance and tried to press Harry for information without appearing too suspicious.

"How? Why? When?" he whispered from the corner of his mouth.

Harry smiled. "We need a distraction!"

"Potter!" said Severus suddenly.

Startled, Harry turned his head towards Severus, who was standing directly in front of him.

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry glanced at Draco, who was lazily waving his hand in the air. He seemed to be the only one who knew the answer; the Gryffindors looked totally stumped. Of course they didn't have any idea what Severus was talking of, Harry knew that Gryffindors hardly cared for potions.

"They make a sleeping potion," Harry explained, watching Weasley's head turn from white to red.

"It is so powerful that it is commonly known as the Draught of Living Death."

"Correct," Severus commented and Harry was sure to hear pride in his voice.

"Let's try again. Malfoy, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Draco's eyes shone as he answered. "I'd look into the stomach of a goat and hope you'd get better soon."

"Correct. Weasley, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Weasley looked as if he didn't have the faintest idea what the two of them were at all. "I don't know, Sir."

Severus' lips curled. "Tut, tut. Another five points from Gryffindor for not bothering to open your books. Weasley, this is not your day. Ten points to Slytherin for attentiveness and accurate knowledge."

The Gryffindor side was taking turns scowling at Harry and Draco and Weasley. Severus had ensured that the house rivalry had infected yet another year and over hating the redhead Harry and Draco almost forgot all about their plan, their monster and their potion.