The next few days were relatively quiet ones. Lestrange behaved himself, treading very softly around Severus, lest he invoke the boy's wrath again. Draco also laid low; he was secretly going for those lessons with Sirius Black, and he didn't want Severus to know about them.
Lately, everyone had begun worrying about their O.W.L.s. Draco considered having Dumbledore declare him exempt from the Defense Against the Dark Arts test, but he knew that deep down, he really wanted to be able to take that test along with everyone else. He didn't want to be a retard and have to do it over the summer. It made him mad. How come he was so crappy at the course? No one understood it. Anytime he thought of it, he got a picture in his mind of the books he was throwing at the werewolf.
Severus had of course noticed Draco's change. Draco knew that Sev had questions, but Draco didn't wish to provide the answers; the boy was already involved too deeply in this quest of his. He knew this to be certain when they both recieved owls from Professor Colton:
You will report to the potions dungeon for detention at seven-thirty on Friday evening.Professor Colton
They both looked at their slips glumly. This no doubt was because of the potion used for Colton's "illness" last week. Not that he'd gained anything from the whole stunt! It just pissed Draco off.
Friday afternoon, classes were let out a bit earlier than usual, as it was the beginning of Easter break. Fortunately for Draco, Severus wasn't planning on going home to see his uncle during the holiday. But Sirius Black was leaving for a couple of days. During their last lesson, Draco managed to hold onto his form long enough to have a set of short wiry whiskers left sprouting under his nose. This caused no end of jokes from Black and his cronies, who were making faces at him from the Gryffindor table at lunch, holding their fingers across under their noses, like they had mustaches that they were trying to hide.
"What the hell is with them?" Severus growled as he stirred his soup mutinously.
"Oh, it's nothing," Draco answered airily, smirking at the Marauders from his seat.
"Are you sure? I have this strong urge to knock Potter's glasses off his snotty nose; you should take advantage of it," Severus declared.
"Severus, don't! I don't mind their dumb little jokes at all, and neither should you. We should just concentrate on getting this damned detention with Colton over with. Then, we've got an entire week off! We could work on more Defense Against the Dark Arts, unless you don't really want to take up your whole vacation with tutoring me. I'd understand that."
"It's no big deal," Severus answered gruffly, then stuck his spoon in his mouth before he could speak again. Draco and Severus ate in silence after that. Draco was starting to feel like he really didn't deserve Severus as a friend. After all, he was keeping things from Severus, sneaking around to learn from Sirius Black behind Severus' back, and taking up the boy's time with his problems. And getting him into trouble; he bet that Severus never got detentions before he came along. Actually, he himself virtually never served detention either, before he had gone through the dark corridor.
Since there was no class after lunch, Severus went back to the Slytherin Common room, while Draco went off an extra Quidditch practice. Since they had to share the field with Hufflepuff, they decided to make up a mock game. He eyed some of Hufflepuffs players, and saw that their beaters were just as bulky as Slytherin's. Draco had heard rumors that those two giants guarded the Hufflepuff doors from others trying to come inside their common room. Only a very select few could enter through their guard. Draco was sure that Drucilla's girlfriends, Lily and his Aunt Andi, could get in there. And then it occurred to Draco that he really ought to try and make amends with Drucilla. He really didn't mean to stand her up in the Three Broomsticks. It just couldn't be helped. This whole damned thing that he was supposed to be doing, whatever it was, was taking up Draco's whole life! How was he supposed to do anything else when he had so much on his mind? Like who else, besides Potter, and Foxworth, and surely Black, was in the Order of the Phoenix?
A Bludger whirrled past his head, and he nearly spun from the tailwind from it. "Malfoy! Concentrate!" Simmons screamed at him. Draco gulped and nodded. Simmons had already lost one Seeker this year; he couldn't afford to lose another one!
Draco was glad to see practice come to an end, just before dinner. Before he landed, he noticed Lestrange and his sister Rachel near the bleachers, trying to stay low. They looked like they were doing something fun and exciting, yet secret. They couldn't be... Draco shook himself mentally. They were siblings, for pity's sake! In spite of himself, Draco was very curious to know what they were doing, so he glided silently around the stands to the other side, where the backside was natually more accessible. Between the multitude of wooden beams, Draco could see Lestrange and Rachel hovering over something, and Lestrange seemed to be poking the ground with his wand. If he listened very hard, Draco could make out sqeaking sounds. What could they be doing? At least they had their clothes on, and their hands off eachother...
They must have realized the time, because, abrputly, Lestrange and Rachel rose from their crouched positions, and then Lestrange stepped hard on something under his foot. Draco waited until they scurried off, and then he entered. He bet they were smoking something they shouldn't have been, he thought as he approached the spot where the had been. But instead of finding a crushed cigarette, or even a joint, he found, of all things, a dead salamander. That was what Lestrange had crushed under his heel. Draco's stomach turned. He'd stomped on insects before, certainly, but he wouldn't kill a salamander, especially in such a manner. They never hurt anybody. What could they have been doing to it? Was it the salamander that made those terrible sounds?
Draco concluded as he flew back to the school that Lestrange was a complete freak, and his sister not much better. They were most likely torturing that salamander, and Draco knew that any kid that tortures animals usually turns out to be a serial killer or something like that. He'd have to tell Severus about his former friend's extracurricular activities right away, so he could be on the lookout for Lestrange.
On the way to the Potions Dungeon after dinner, Draco told Severus all about Lestrange. His friend didn't look surprised about it. "He's always been mean, Malfoy," Severus told him. "I just didn't realize that his tendencies really meant anything more than that he was just frustrated and angry. You mean he could kill people?" Severus shook his head sadly, and said nothing further until they opened the potions door.
"Well, well," Professor Colton smirked as he stood behind his desk, with his knuckles resting on the dark wooden surface. "If it isn't the Dynamic Duo!"
"At least it's not the night of the full moon," Severus remarked.
"Are you accusing me of something yet again, Snape? You have a nasty mind. No doubt it's a by-product of your uncle's tender loving care..." Colton remarked coolly. Then his eyes turned to Draco. "Do you think I tried to kill you, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Does a bear shit in the woods?" Draco snorted, uncaring as to whether he was talking to a teacher or not.
But Colton simply laughed harshly. "Of course, you must consider me far beneath you, seeing as how I am what I am, and you are what you are, yes? But make no mistake, young man, I have full authority over you. And I intend to use it!" Just as Colton finished saying those words, Draco felt the first wave of dizziness assault him. Severus didn't appear to be ill in any way, Draco noted as he slid down to his knees.
"Wha-what's this?" he asked thickly. "You...poisoned me!" Colton's smirk became more cruel.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I think it's time you learned that neither you nor your friend here are nearly as clever as I am. Despite the fact that I'm a Squib, I seem to be doing just fine. You, on the other hand, don't seem to be terribly crisp as of late, eh? And, by the way, I found which house-elf you used to get the potion into my tea. The same one that poisoned your soup. He's rather easily bribed, I daresay. I think I shall have Professor Dumbledore give him some clothes without further delay..."
Draco watched Severus' face begin to darken. He wished that he himself had the strength. "You son of a bitch! You tell me what you gave him!"
"And just what are you going to do about it?" Colton sniffed.
"You want to know what I'm going to do about it!?" Severus growled. "You'd better begin praying that you never find out! This is probably the lowest I have ever seen you sink, Colton! It's bad enough that you take your condition out on everyone else. It's bad enough that your jealousy of the very students you teach is what fuels you every day. And you couldn't stop at holding back so that we would never learn as much as you know. But now that you've taken to poisoning students and trying to have them bitten by werewolves, it's time that someone put a stop to it. You either tell me what the hell you gave Draco, so I can make an antidote, or I swear to you I'll Tranfigure you into the cockroach you are and crush you under my heel!" During this whole tirade, Colton began shrinking back, much like Lestrange had done when confronted by Severus.
"There..there is no antidote!" Colton shrieked as Severus pulled out his wand.
"Liar!" Severus yelled. "Tell me now!" He pointed the wand at Colton. Draco tried to drag himself up; it was getting easier.
"It has no antidote it doesn't last long it's a temporary effect," Colton gibbered.
"What did you give him, Cockroach?" Severus demanded.
"It's nothing really," Colton cried. Draco could actually see well enough to see tears of fright leaking out of Colton's eyes. He tried to form words on his lips, tried to say the word enough, but the word wouldn't come out. And that was when the worst happened; Colton abruptly grabbed his own chest and gasped. Severus backpedalled as Colton reached over the desk to keep himself from falling face down onto the desktop. With a terrible thud, Colton collapsed.
For a few seconds, Severus just stood frozen with his wand in his hand, staring at Colton. Then, his own rage shifted into panic. "I..I didn't do anything!" he protested loudly. "I swear I didn't do a thing! I didn't touch him!"
"No," Draco managed to say, gasping for the strength to form the next words. "He had a heart attack. You gave him a heart attack, Sev," Draco told him.
"Oh my God! What the hell am I going to do?" Severus ran over to Colton's still form and rolled him over onto his back. "That's typical! Just to get even with me, you go and fucking die on me! Well, not if I have anything to say about it!" he muttered. Draco crawled closer. What could Severus be doing? He saw him place his hand on Colton's chest. Then, Draco sensed an enormous amount of magical power rush through the room. After that, Colton's body jerked up, like a great current had jolted through his prone body, making it leap up in the air. Severus only had enough time to turn to Draco after that. The look in Sev's eyes was one of pure exhaustion. Then, he collapsed next to Colton.
Draco crawled a few more steps and was able to see them both more clearly. He saw Colton's chest rising and falling very peacefully. Severus was unnaturally still. "No..." Draco struggled to reach Severus. He couldn't be dead, not after all this! "Sev, wake up!" he gasped as he reached for him.
"Wait! Don't touch him, Draco!" he heard Professor Dumbledore's voice boom. The headmaster strode in, followed by Madame Pomfrey. Dumbledore waved his wand, and Draco saw a white light surround Severus. "Now, you may try to revive him, though I doubt that you will succeed, Draco," Dumbledore explained. Draco reached for Severus, and found him to be completely loosened, like a rag doll. Draco looked to Dumbledore for an explanation. "It has happened once before."
Madame Pofrey seemed to be fretting a great deal. "He should learn the proper way to heal! Instead of this manner, which leaves him even weaker than the one he's healed."
"I don't understand. What did Severus do?" Draco asked.
"He used pure magic to heal Colton. Why? What had happened here?" Dumbledore asked. Colton groaned and sat up suddenly. He looked to his side and saw Severus beside him. He gave a start, felt his chest, and shook his head.
"Horace? What happened here?" Dumbledore asked him. For a moment, Colton looked very dazed, then, a look of wonder came over him. Draco was getting angrier by the second. Here his friend was unconscious, and Colton was the cause of it!
"I..don't believe it!" Colton whispered. Tears began to run from his eyes again, only this time, Draco didn't think they were from fear. "I...he Healed me! Oh, my!" he gasped, "he needs to get to the hospital wing!"
"Just as I way about to say," Madame Pomfrey huffed. She was about to wave her wand to conjure a stretcher for Severus, but Colton raised his hand up to stop her.
"Please allow me," he said, then took Severus' wand and waved it. "Mobilicorpus." Severus was raised into the air by seemingly invisible strings. Everyone in the room gaped.
"Horace..." Dumbledore whispered in disbelief.
"How in the world did he?" Madame Pomfrey asked. But Draco noticed that she wasn't looking at Colton when she said that. She was looking at Severus.
Draco looked at Colton's aura. The red slash over his head was definitely gone! Suddenly he grew so angry that he thought he might start shooting lightning bolts from his fingers just to blow off the steam. "He healed you?" he asked, shaking with anger.
"We must get Severus someplace where he can rest comfortably," Colton responded. "Then, we can talk about what happened to him." Without another word, Draco fumed as they all began the procession to the Hospital wing.