The party was already in full swing when I arrived later that night. I had spent the rest of the day worrying over what I had just agreed to do, and therefore was rather late in getting ready.
I edge into the Great Hall and automatically search the crowd for Ron and Hermione. I spot them talking with a few other Gryffindors and am about to walk towards them when a hand clamps down hard on my shoulder.
I don't even have time to turn around before I'm dragged back out into the Entrance Hall.
"Malfoy!" I whirl around angrily and glare at the boy.
"What the hell took you so long?" he demands in a hushed voice. "I know it couldn't have been the care you put into your appearance because you look like-"
"Can we please skip the obligatory insults?" I sigh, rubbing my shoulder. "Let's just get this over with."
Malfoy stands back and eyes me in amusement. "Feeling a little nervous now, are we, Potter? Ooo...crossing over to the dark side has you shaking in your boots?"
"Oh, shut up." I glance back into the Hall. "Where are all the professors?"
Malfoy comes to stand beside me. "There are only a few on duty tonight, just the heads of houses, really."
I nod and scan for my friends again. They're still laughing and talking with the rest of my house. "Looks a little segregated to me," I note, taking in the clumps of students each keeping to their own house.
"What? Did you expect everyone to get all chummy all of the sudden just because it's the last night we have to see any of these people again?"
"Why not?" I ask, evenly.
"You are so naïve, Potter." Malfoy rolls his eyes as if I'm some child he's too tired to deal with.
"Look, can we just do this already?" I demand impatiently, not wanting to get into a whole prejudice debate with him. I know enough about Malfoy to realise that some things will never change; his mind will never open up to the possibility that maybe a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin could be friends, or the real mind blower – would want to be friends.
"Fine by me." Malfoy reaches into his pocket and withdraws two small, silk pouches. He hands the black one over to me and keeps the deep purple for himself.
"There's enough in here for everyone?" I ask sceptically, weighing the small bag in my hand.
"And then some," Malfoy replies with a smirk. "You take the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, and I'll take the Slytherins and Ravenclaws."
"Okay." I manage to keep the apprehensive tremble out of my voice as I slip the pouch into my cloak pocket. "How much should I put in?"
"Just a pinch into everyone's goblet should do it." Malfoy watches me suspiciously. "You're not going to bail on me, are you?"
"No." I straighten my shoulders indignantly and return his gaze. "I'll go in first."
Malfoy smiles in approval as he watches me stride back into the noisy Hall with determination. He waits a minute then follows suit.
I try to avoid Hermione's eye as she glances towards the doors, obviously waiting for me to appear. As quickly and discreetly as possible, I add a pinch of Fire Fever powder to each and every filled goblet on the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, smiling and nodding in greeting to people as I pass. Nobody is really paying any attention, so caught up in their conversations and celebrating. A wave of relief washes over me as I finish and I tuck the silk pouch back into my pocket. I stroll nonchalantly over to my friends and smile in greeting.
"Where've you been, mate?" Ron asks, looking a little hyper. "We're about to eat."
"Sorry," I apologise, not quite meeting his eyes. "I was running late."
"Can you believe it's our last night here?" asks Dean, shaking his head.
I hear a sniffle to my right and am surprised to see tears in Hermione's eyes. "Are you okay?" I ask, quietly.
"Oh, Harry," she says in a wobbly voice, "I don't want to leave. I'm not ready to go yet."
I smile and give her a comforting hug. "Me either."
She pulls back and looks up into my face with sudden gravity.
"What is it?" I ask, frowning.
She pulls me a few steps away from the group. "Promise me you'll be careful, Harry."
"What are you-?"
"This war - it's really happening, you know."
I give her a puzzled smile. "Of course it is."
"Just...just promise me you'll be careful."
I suddenly feel the urge to cry myself as she stares pleadingly into my eyes. I pull her to me and hold her tightly. "I promise. I won't let you down, I won't let anyone down. I will defeat him, 'Mione. I swear."
She nods into my shoulder and squeezes me back.
I look over her head and spot Malfoy watching us with interest. He notices my look and winks, his hand slipping something back into his cloak. The powder.
The prank is set.
"Come on you two, it's time to eat!"
Hermione and I split apart, feeling a little sheepish for getting so emotional, and follow the rest of our house over to the tables to sit down.
"Everything okay?" Ron asks quietly, as we settle into our seats.
"Everything's fine," I assure him, glancing at Hermione, who looks a little more in control now.
I watch as the table is suddenly piled high with every type of dish imaginable. Everyone's favourite food is bound to be included in this feast, whether it be pizza or caviar. I spot a tempting roasted chicken and immediately begin filling my plate.
"Looks like they pulled out all the stops," Seamus comments, his eyes round as he looks over the sumptuous buffet.
"What's Professor Dumbledore eating?" Neville asks around a mouthful of potatoes.
We all look up and watch as the headmaster digs into what looks like a giant banana split. I take a quick survey of the head table and notice with relief that only Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick are present.
My stomach gives a sudden lurch as I remember the prank. I tune out the chatter around me and suddenly all I can see are the shining gold goblets twinkling in the torchlight on every table. I don't know whether to laugh hysterically or throw-up.
I refrain from drinking from my own goblet and can only watch as my fellow classmates drink up around me. From the corner of my eye I catch Hermione reaching for her pumpkin juice and I can't do it, I can't let her drink it.
I quickly reach out and knock over her goblet. She cries out and jumps back from the spreading puddle of orange liquid.
"Sorry." I take out my wand and hastily clean up the mess.
"It's okay," Hermione says, giving me a look as she conjures up another goblet and fills it with fresh (powder-free), pumpkin juice.
While Ron is turned to his other side, I quickly grab his goblet and dump it out under the table, refill it with fresh juice and set it back on the table.
I sigh with relief and the knot in my stomach has eased a little bit as I go back to eating my dinner.
Ten minutes later, I'm biting my lip to keep from laughing out loud. Students everywhere are pulling at their clothes and scratching at their skin in irritation.
Five minutes more and I don't bother trying to keep it in anymore. Students are running everywhere, it's mass pandemonium and I can't help but laugh at their antics. The professors still in the Hall are trying to calm them down. I put my head down on the table, laughing so hard my stomach hurts as tiny professor Flitwick is run down by a thundering Ravenclaw.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaims in disbelief. "How can you laugh at a time like this? This could be the work of You-Know-Who!"
I only laugh harder and pound my fist on the table, actual tears leaking from my eyes.
Hermione frowns at me in concern then rushes off to try and help the professors. Ron can only sit frozen in utter shock.
I lift my head and peer through the crowd towards the Slytherin table. I double up with laughter again as I catch sight of Malfoy casually feasting on some roasted pheasant while watching the scene around him with an air of indifference. He catches my eye and raises a brow as if to say, 'see? It was a good idea.'
I smile and nod in agreement, my stomach still aching with laughter.
Across from me Neville suddenly rips off his robe and runs from the Hall, shrieking at the top of his lungs.
I stand hesitantly and glance back to Malfoy. He nods and sets down his fork.
The two of us run from the Hall and follow Neville as he pushes through the entrance doors and out into the twilit grounds. Neville's pale skin is gleaming in the dark and we track him easily as he heads for the lake.
Malfoy and I stop near the shore and watch as Neville splashes into the water and plops down into the shallow depths, only his head visible above the dark lapping waves.
I snort and Malfoy claps a hand over my mouth to silence me.
"Follow me," he whispers.
We leave Neville alone and trek across the grounds towards Hagrid's cabin. His windows are dark and we feel safe enough to sit down on the front stoop without being disturbed.
"That was fucking brilliant." I grin, still picturing Neville running naked across the grounds.
Malfoy gives me a strange look.
"What?"
"You just swore, and are actually happy about something that caused other people embarrassment and pain."
"You said that it wasn't painful!" I accuse, suddenly feeling as if I've been duped.
"Calm down." Malfoy turns away with a roll of his eyes. "It's not that painful," he mutters under his breath.
"It better not have been," I grumble darkly.
"Speaking of deceit." He suddenly turns back to me. "I happened to notice that your two best pals didn't seem to be affected."
"Oh, well..." I bite my lip guiltily.
"I was looking forward to seeing Weasel-bee making a right prat of himself."
"Yeah, well...I couldn't do it. They're my friends."
"I did it to my friends."
"I thought you didn't have any friends?"
"Oh, shut up."
We sit in silence and I can just make out the pale form of Neville making his way back to the castle in the distance. The clouds are still thick and heavy in the sky above us and it feels as if it's going to rain some more before the night is over.
"So what are you doing after you leave Hogwarts?" I ask, trying to lighten the tension, and also because I'm curious.
"Are we going to do the small talk thing now?" Malfoy asks, patronizingly.
"Do you always have to act like the world's against you?"
"Do you always answer a question with a question?"
"Do you?"
Malfoy almost smiles as he nods in acknowledgement. "Fine, you really want to know?" He stands and jumps off the steps to the muddy ground below. "I'm going to be a spy in this bloody war, just like ol' Snape, then, if I'm not dead by the end of it, I'm going to put up shop and sit around in the lap of luxury for the rest of my life."
"And if we lose the war?"
"Well, as soon as it looks like we're going to end up with the short end of the wand, I'm going to humbly return to the fold and denounce Dumbledore outright."
"You're serious, aren't you?" I ask after a pause.
Malfoy is opening his mouth to reply when suddenly a bright flash of green light erupts from within the Forbidden Forest and momentarily blinds us.
"What the hell?" I leap to my feet and withdraw my wand with great speed.
The only answer I receive is the eerie silence of the shadowy Forest. I charge forward and begin sprinting towards the Forest's edge as fast as I can.
"Are you crazy, Potter?" Malfoy shouts behind me as I take off.
"Someone's used Avada Kedavra!" I yell over my shoulder. "We can probably still catch them."
"Fuck," Malfoy exclaims under his breath as he glances back at the school then chases after me.
I am surprised when I see Malfoy come up beside me as I enter the Forest, but I refrain from comment as I focus on finding the location of the curse.
We walk quickly and as quietly as possible, pushing through the damp leaves and bushes, the mud squelching slickly under our feet. I expect Malfoy to complain but he appears to be as focused and as worried as I am.
It only takes five minutes of walking before we come upon the body. It's all alone, with no sign of anyone else nearby.
We approach it cautiously, wands at the ready.
"Lumos." Malfoy lights his wand and lowers the beam to the unmoving figure lying on the ground.
I gasp and Malfoy drops his wand to the earth, the light now casting a glow on the victim's face as it shines directly into those familiar coal-black eyes; wide open and lifeless.
It's Professor Snape.
