Chapter 20

(a couple days later)

/I'm really getting tired of this! I have no idea if this guy is really the love of my life or simply a pet of Dumbledore's. It could just be an act that Draco is putting on for Dumbledore, or is it Dumbledore trying to pull me in... again?/ Harry lied on his bed seething. Harry had no idea what to think. Filch himself had referred to Harry as an idiot. Maybe he was right. He was getting nowhere, just like Dumbledore would have wanted it. He hadn't found the time to seriously think about where the journal had been hidden. He still had no idea what Draco was up to, if it was even really Draco.

Actually, it just occurred to him he did not really want to get close to this Draco. He didn't trust him.

However, what if it was Draco and there really was a reason for his secretiveness. Maybe Dumbledore really was able to watch everything that happened. But if that was the case...

Harry rubbed at his temples, furiously. He could feel another of those headaches coming on.

/Damn it!/ He held in a scream of frustration. Draco was sleeping in the bed right next to his.

Yes. The room had changed once again, to accommodate them. The beds now even had curtains! /the better to hide behind!/

Suddenly Harry laughed to himself. /I'm a bleeding potions professor! A potions professor (at least for the moment), and I am allowing myself to lie down and wait out the pain! I could do something about it, without going to Pomfrey for once./

"Harry?" A tired voice asked him.

"Nothing!" he knew that his tone was probably more biting than it needed to be, but he was tired of this. He felt useless and now he finally found something he could do. Or at least something he was competent enough at doing... even if he was nowhere near the best. He wouldn't be held back.

Harry pushed himself of the bed; a rather crafty smile graced him face.

The kittens, which had taken to sleeping in his bed, growled in irritation at having been disturbed.

Harry knew what he would do after he made himself something to cure him of that damned headache of his.

He would go ahead and make the potion for Snape. Never mind waiting to get Him to take the instructions to the others. Harry would do it himself.

Then he would renew his campaign against Dumbledore.



(a couple days later)

Harry slid down the corridor, like the snake that he currently was.

He had dismissed his class early, as they had finished ahead of time. It gave him the perfect time to follow through with his plan, as the class was right before the lunch period. He just had to keep from being seen. As far as he knew Dumbledore didn't know of his animagus form; he hoped that if he was found that Dumbledore would think him an ordinary snake.

First things first, he had to find the elusive headmaster. He decided his office would be the first place to find him.

Harry waited against a wall in the shadows for several minutes before he heard voices.

Someone was coming out! He pulled back further into the shadows.

"-as not said anything to me." They came around the corner. Draco!

"Well keep trying." Came the snappish reply, from none other that the headmaster, Dumbledore, himself.

"I am! He does not trust me. I-" he was abruptly cut off by the old man in front of him.

"Quiet! This is not the place to be discussing this." His shifty eyes scanned to hallway, finding nothing, but you could never be to sure.

Harry hissed quietly to himself. /well that answers my question./ He was right in his decision to not trust him. He couldn't bring himself to be surprised that Dumbledore try to give him an impostor.

It just made him more depressed. He had hoped that it was his Draco; so that he wouldn't alone anymore.

He watched as the pretender walked away, leaving Dumbledore standing in the hallway alone.

After a few more seconds the started moving, with Harry a few feet behind ready to fall into the shadows, if need be.

After walking the halls for a few more minutes the headmaster, turned towards the great hall.

Harry broke away and slithered to the nearest bathroom. This was not going to be the day that he would find the journal, unless he found another chance to follow the man.


Sure enough at the end of the day when Harry waltzed back to the ROR, 'Draco' was waiting for him.

"Harry!" He leapt up from where he had been studying over his books. "I haven't seen you all day." He reached to pull Harry into a hug, but he was evaded.

"Not now, Draco." He was pleased when he saw the confused look on the other boys face.

"But-"

"No. All of a sudden you want to be around me? To touch me?" Harry smirked. He boyfriend was rubbing off on him. "Well now, I don't want to be around you." He pulled of his cloak, tossing it on the couch, before lying on his back on the bed. The kittens, which had been sleeping on his bed, as was their habit when Harry wasn't around, rubbed against him purring. /at least someone wants me!/ Grinning, he reached down to rub the black ones fur. /I really should give them names/ he thought to himself. Something Draco would like, since still planned to give them to him. The real Draco... Harry smiled sadly to himself. He missed his so much, and this imitator did not do his Draco justice. He was surprised he hadn't noticed the differences before.

'Draco' watched the scene in irritation. "I told you, I just didn't want Dumbledore to get the wrong idea! But I want you so much..." he pleaded with the boy on the bed coming closer till he was right beside the bed.

"I think I'll name you Gemini." Harry rubbed the black furred kitten, who purred back. /now I just have to come up with a name for the other little one.../ He was having fun with this. He knew very well that he was irritating the boy in front of him by ignoring him. "Hmm... Shiro. That's a good name for you." He laughed when the pale kitten stared at him with emerald green eyes.

"Will you talk to me for one second?" Harry looked up at him, then glancing quickly at his watch he got up.

"Sorry, Draco. I have something I need to do." He said, picking up Gemini and Shiro in his arms. He left the baffled boy staring after him in.

"I really need a break." Harry whispered to one of the cats in his arms.

He walked down to the Slytherin dungeons.


Harry awkwardly knocked on the door; not easy when your arms are full.

"Who is it?" came a voice from the other side.

"Me. I come baring gifts." Harry smirked as Ethan opened the door to let him in. He let the kittens down once in the room and they walked around the room.

"What, no Draco?" Ethan asked when Harry closed the door behind him.

"Of course not," was all Harry said, flopping down in the nearest empty couch.

"What's Potter doing back here," He heard a thick voice. Harry looked up to see Crabbe, who had been at the door to the boys' dorm, glaring at him. Goyle, on the other hand, appeared to be running from Gemini. Once Gemini had him running in one direction, Shiro would cut him off and send him running back in her brother's direction. They continued like that, causing Harry to laugh, ignoring Crabbe.

"I should bring them down here more oft-" He was cut of when someone pounced on him.

"Professor Potter!" After getting over having the air knock he looked up to see who had pounced on him. Duo Maxwell.

"Hello, Maxwell." Harry said to the boy who had wrapped his arms around the older boy. "I do need to breathe, you know," he wheezed.

"Sorry!" He grinned up at him, before leaping off him, before running back to his room.

"He sure has taken to you." Ethan said.

Harry shrugged. It wasn't his right to talk about someone else's business, without permission.

"Typical." He grinned. "I don't know why he seems to like you so much. Duo's nice enough to the rest of us, but won't open up to any of us. We know nothing about him, so far."

Harry nodded. /I'm guessing that doesn't included Heero/ "So, where's your girlfriend."

"She's mad at me. Keller refuses to be in the same room as me." He sighed.

"You know she hates being called 'Keller'." Harry had been there when Crabbe mistakenly called her by her given name. He had spent the next week in the infirmary having hallucinations.

"I know," Ethan growled. "Kel hates you."

/it's only one more person on the list/ "Let me guess. She believes I am evil."

"No. She thinks you're giving Slytherin a good name. She thinks that we should keep to ourselves. Kel doesn't like mixing with other houses. Especially 'Harry 'Perfect' Potter: The-Boy-Who-Lived'. So until I come around to her thinking we're taking a break."

Harry snorted. "That's a new one."

Ethan laughed. "It's been pretty boring around here without you guys. I'm glad you're back, but what's wrong with Draco. He hasn't been down here once; it's not like him. Also I'm surprised that he hasn't tried to kill Millicent yet, who is asleep by the way."

"Thankfully." He didn't feel like dealing with her. He sighed. "I don't know what to do about Draco. I don't believe he's-."

"Harry!" For the second time that evening he found himself attacked to someone else. The sickeningly sweet perfume that reached his nose told him who it was before he even looked.

"Oh. It's you. Do you know what clothes are?! Get off!" He frantically pushed at her. This time she had chosen to wear Harry's worst nightmare. Nothing. Actually, there was a robe.

Much good that did. It was open.

Ethan was making gagging motions in the background.

"What is wrong with you?!" Millicent yelled. "You have a perfectly good peace of female anatomy right in front of you. Can you honestly say I don't turn you on?" While saying this she ran her hand slowly over her body. Harry grabbed her hand before it went below her waist.

/doesn't she have any modesty!/ "No! You don't! Can't you take a hint?!"

"How can you like Draco more than me?! I understand, he's so incredibly fuckable," both her and Harry shuddered, but for different reasons, "but He. Is. A. Boy! So are you!"

Harry glared at her. "I. Know. What I don't know is how you got the impression that I liked you!"

"That would be my mistake." Ethan broke into their 'conversation'. "Sorry. I thought it would be funny."

"Ethan!"

"What?! I'm sorry. I told you I was bored..." He shrugged. "I just didn't think she would take me seriously."

"Well she did!"

"I'm right here! I knew that you loved me before Ethan said anything. Pansy told me, you were just to shy to say anything. But you've changed so much! You're ready to be with me now." Millicent smiled hopefully, using her other hand to run down his chest, pressing against him. Harry grabbed that hand too then flipped her around so that he had her arms wrapped around her chest and he was holding her wrist from behind.

"Where are the girls' dorms?"

Ethan pointed.

Harry pushed the heavily protesting girl through the door and locked it behind her.

Harry returned to his seat. "My poor eyes..." He said dramatically, covering said body part.

"Yours aren't the only ones." Ethan had returned to watching Goyle, who had passed out after running in circles for to long. Gemini and Shiro had curled up on his chest, looking like the symbol 'Yin/Yang'.

"You only have yourself to blame."

"That's true." He trailed off. "She isn't quite as bad as Pansy was though. She had actually managed to sneak her way into Draco's bed one time. She hated you with a passion after she learned that you had gotten Draco before she had."

"I don't blame her. He would be a hard person to loose. He didn't have anything against her when she died."

Ethan nodded.


When Harry finally returned to his room He was sleep, thankfully.

Harry pulled out a sleeping drought and crept over to the bed. He eased the curtain open, only pausing when the other boy started to move. Luckily he settled after a second, none the wiser of the person standing over him as he slept. It occurred to Harry to slip him veritaserum and go ahead and find out what the boy knew, but that might alert Dumbledore of foul play too early. Harry only needed for him to sleep a little while longer.

Harry gently tipped his chin up and was greeted with a loud snore. Harry sneered at him. Draco snored occasionally but never this badly. Draco's snores where just enough to lull a person to sleep, not wake a coma victim. While the mouth was open he slipped in the potion. After momentarily choking it went down smoothly. Harry threw the test tube in a corner, listening to the loud shatter. Not even a flinched.

Satisfied, Harry cleaned up the mess.

It was time to start the potion.


Draco woke to find Hermione standing over him.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed, annoyed at having his sleep interrupted. Draco was quieted when she slowly placed a finger on his lips.

"Shh..." Hermione removed the finger only to replace it with her lips. "No need for words, Draco. Just let it happen."

He felt himself responding to her advances. Draco felt his arms wrap around her soft body, pulling her closer to him.


"No need for words, Draco. Just let it happen. Touch me."

He felt himself responding to Hermione's advances. Draco felt his arms wrap around her soft body, pulling her closer to him.

"What are you doing?" What was he doing?

"There's always been something between us, Draco. The animosity... It's just turned into something more."

"I don't want this." But all the same he began undressing her, caressing her skin as he went.

"It doesn't matter. You will do this, for me. Look at me." He did. Draco found he couldn't pull his eyes away from her.

/if I can't have one I'll have the other/

An image of a snake flashed before Draco's eyes, but then it was gone.

"What are you doing to me?"

"What I want." Hermione was pulling him guiding him on top of her, when-

"What are you doing to her!?" Draco saw Blaise as he slammed the door into the wall opposite. Draco was still moving his hands over Hermione as he stared blankly at Blaise.

"Stop." Hermione whispered in his ear and he felt himself do so. She pushed him off of her and ran to her fiancé, in tears. "He was going to rape me," she whispered as she clung to him.

Blaise felt a rage at his former best friend as his lover clung to him. How dare Draco even think about touching her. And to do this to Harry, the one he supposedly loved. He had betrayed them all.

"I don't know what happened-" Draco pleaded with him, trembling as he wrapped his arms around himself. Harry would never forgive him for something like this, he did not doubt that.

That didn't stop Blaise's anger as he lunged at Draco, hitting every part he could reach. /I will never let Hermione be hurt by anyone. Not again.../

He pulled Hermione out of the room and left Draco shaking on the bed, terrified.


/just as planned.../


(days later)

"Get off of me!" Harry hissed. He had woken up with Malfoy on top of him. He knew that he couldn't continue to call him 'impostor' and calling him Draco was definitely out of the question.

"Why?" the boy on top of him chuckled.

"Because you irritate me."

"We never talk anymore." He pouted.

"Because you like to keep secrets." Malfoy looked mildly hurt. /and because you act nothing like Draco./ "Besides, isn't it time for you to get to class?" He raised an eyebrow at the boy laying on top him.

"Yeah." he sighed and reluctantly got off so he could get dressed in time. He had something to do that day.

What Malfoy didn't know was that Harry didn't plan to teach that day. He had called in a favour.


Once Draco left, still feigning to be hurt, Harry quickly dressed.

After changing, Harry made his way, once towards Dumbledore's office. It was still his best bet on where to find him.

He had to avoid nearly being stepped on by a couple of students wondering the halls. They didn't notice the long black cobra that slithered between their heals.

Just as Harry made it to the office door, after nearly being stepped on by a few more students, he found Dumbledore creeping out of his office door.

Really, he was actually creeping!

/not to subtle, are you/ He was really surprised that none of the Slytherins seemed to notice. Harry hadn't gotten the chance to find out anything from anyone of the other houses because, outside of class, most people in the other houses avoided him like the plague.

Following the entirely non-subtle man, who was apparently cackling quietly, Harry couldn't help laughing to himself. So this was what Dumbledore was like when no-one else was around…

Harry was glad for having devious friends in low places, the dungeons, at times like this. Ethan had agreed to take his place with the use of pulyjuice potion for the day, no questions asked. It was payback for his stunt with Millicent. It left Harry free to do what he wanted without anyone knowing he was absent; he doubted that Malfoy would know the difference. The rumour was that Ethan had a 24 hour cold and decided to simply stay in bed. Pomfrey wouldn't bother him as long as she didn't catch him up and about.

After meandering around for about a half hour, the old man seemed to find a resting place. At that moment Harry noticed how tired he looked. He still looked like the calculating bastard Harry knew him to be, just tired. Resting against the wall, he saw Dumbledore pull out a vial of pure red liquid. After drinking it down, he changed. It could only be explained as revitalized, as a red glow surrounded him.

/what the.../ Harry had no idea what to think about what he just saw. What had been in that vial?

After a second more the glow dissipated. Dumbledore suddenly got up and Harry had to hurry to catch up.

Sure enough Dumbledore came to another stopping point. The room of requirement.


Harry started to follow him inside but then a voice sounded behind them.

"Still at it, Albus..."

/damn, he has the worse timing.../ It was Filch, staring right at him. Harry had no idea whose side was he on. Then, he had helped Harry, but now he seemed to be stopping him from finding what he needed to do away with Dumbledore.

"What do you want, Filch." Dumbledore didn't sound any happier with Filch than Harry felt.

"My, my... such a tone to take with someone so like yourself..." Filch grinned, letting his yellowed teeth show.

"We will never be alike. I know what I'm getting myself into, you didn't. You jumped in head first, without thinking about the consequences."

"You know not what you are talking about. While what you say is somewhat true, you are actually worse off than I am. I understand what I did, but do you? Does it even matter to you, anymore? You never would have done this before..."

"I do what I must. It is for the good of everyone."

"That's what you are supposed to think. Try using that mind of yours and get yourself out!" Filch's sneering grin had turned pleading. It was a look that Harry never thought that he would see on the man's face. "If you don't, I assure you I won't be there to help you."

"This is betrayal, Argus!"

"Of course this is betrayal. I simply refuse to care, anymore. Don't come crying to me when everything falls down at your feet; I won't be there." Filch slouched off down the hall.

Dumbledore turned back to the door, staring at it reproachfully. Indecision. Harry waited until he grabbed the doorknob. Voices sounded down the hallway. Class must have ended.

Instead of entering, Dumbledore pulled away. He glanced behind him once before leaving the way he came. Harry did not follow him.

He could have sworn that the man's eyes had been trained on him. Had Dumbledore seen him? Did he know it was him?


Chapter 19
Chapter 21