Chapter 13

Harry looked in front of him and tried to listen to Professor McGonagall talk about how in their NEWTS that year they would be expected to be able to turn themselves into a thimble.

'But Professor, what's a thimble?'

'Seamus Finnegan, if you have a question I would advise you to raise your hand and not simply blurt out, or we may have chaos on our hands.'

Seamus put his hand in the air and Professor McGonagall asked him as if nothing had just transpired, 'Yes?'

'Professor, what exactly is a thimble?'

Beside him Harry had just conjured a thimble out of thin air, Draco's eyebrows rose as he saw this. Looking around, he was stunned to see that no one else had noticed.

'Mr. Finnegan, a thimble is a muggle contraption that has been around for several years. It was used mostly for sewing, so that a lady would not prick her finger as often.' Waving her wand Professor McGonagall also conjured a small thimble and showed it to the class.

'Bloody Hell! We're supposed to be able to transfigure ourselves into something as small as that!'

McGonagall's head snapped around to the owner of the voice, 'Mr. Weasley, would you be as kind as to keep your profanity to yourself?'

Ron bent his head and mumbled something that sounded along the lines of 'Sorry'.

Draco turned his eyes back around to Harry and looked at the thimble. He hadn't transfigured anything, but simply made it appear. They hadn't learned that yet.

'Wow, he is good isn't he?'

Draco looked to see Elizzabeth sitting right beside him; she had obviously seen the thimble as well. But Harry looked around and caught her staring at the thimble, quickly he gave a wave of his wand and it disappeared.

Draco looked at Elizzabeth and said, 'Can you not be subtle about something?'

Elizzabeth looked at him shocked and said, 'Wow, aren't we mister cheerful?'

But Draco wasn't listening; he was looking back over to where Harry was. Beside Harry, Ron, brow furrowed, was trying to prod a toad into changing into a tooth pick. Harry wasn't even touching his.

McGonagall came up to the boys and said, 'Ronald Weasley, you'll poke that frog's eyes out if you're not careful.'

Harry sniggered at his friend and then McGonagall swung around on him, 'Mr. Potter. I take it you can change your frog there and back, otherwise why would you be doing nothing?'

Draco waited, this would be the perfect time for Potter to say he was feeling unwell do to the potion back in Snape's class.

Smiling at the older woman Harry took out his wand and pointed it at his frog, instantly the thing was turned into a deli tooth pick, the blue plastic on the end and everything.

Smiling, Professor McGonagall said, 'Well done Harry. How is it you managed on the first try?'

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry said, 'Just lucky I guess.'

Draco was wide eyed and felt someone prop up his jaw, 'You'll catch flies with that thing open.'

Smirking, Elizzabeth turned back to her own frog, turning it into a mint toothpick.

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

'Harry, you have to tell me how you did that? I mean, did you see Malfoy's face!'

Harry thought on his red haired friend's words, Malfoy had seemed surprised, and a bit curious. At least, that's what he thought, but Ron seemed to think it was anger.

'I mean, his face was just so pale, I mean, paler than normal. And his eyes were just so glassy, you could tell he was mad that you out performed him.' Stopping for a second the red head said, 'Blimey, it was the potion wasn't it? I mean, from what Hermione said, it may not have been the exact potion Snape wanted you to make, but it was the potion wasn't it?'

Knowing that he had to try and calm his friend down, Harry looked at Ron and said slowly,' you know, I think you're right. I mean, I've never gotten anything on the first try before.'

Ron laughed and said, 'Come on, I want to see who the new Defense Professor is.'

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

Draco sat down and looked up at Professor Lupin with the Malfoy snarl in place. It would never do for Voldemort's followers to hear that he had done anything less; after all things always had a way of spilling out.

Looking up, he noticed the golden trio walk in, Hermione prattling on about something that sounded like a recital of 'Hogwarts a History'.

'…Honestly, how many times do I have to tell you two that you can't apparate inside Hogwarts walls-'

''Mione, its ok. We were just kidding around. After all, who wants to apparate into Professor Dumbledore's study simply to see what he has on file about you? He'd probably how loads of jinxes and wards put up.'

Ron sighed and said, 'But it is too bad, it would have been nice to see the dirt he has on me.'

Draco smirked; he'd already managed to look at his file. In fact, he had stolen it and then replaced a new version that had been altered.

Sitting down, the golden trio looked up and Hermione said, 'Oh look, its Professor Lupin!'

Harry looked over and smiled at the instructor, and beloved friend. Giving a wave, he sat down and took out some supplies for the class.

After several more minutes, Professor Lupin closed the door and said, 'Now, all those who are here shall be taking this course, and those who are either late, or skipping shall not be allowed in. But before you become too comfy with the seats you have chosen, and I notice that they are all with old housemates, I shall be splitting you into pairs.'

The older man smiled as the class let out a collective groan.

'Now, now, I feel that after a while you shall all feel like one big family. And Professor Dumbledore feels that this will also help you along to becoming much closer friends.'

Draco's eyes were pinned on the Professor; he was hoping that if he concentrated hard enough the man's head might blow up.

'Now, let me see…Gregory Goyle and Ronald Weasley….Vincent Crabbe and Elizzabeth Dael….Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson….Blaise Zabini and Neville Longbottom….Harry Potter and…'

Draco held his breath, if he was to be stuck with a Gryffindor he'd rather it be the one he knew wouldn't blow him up, then one of the others that he knew could quite possibly do it on accident.

'…Draco Malfoy.'

Draco let out a groan and looked over at Harry, 'If you so much as misplace one hair on my head you'll be sorry, Potter.'

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

Harry looked up from being on his knees, he was sure they were bloodied, and looked into the cool silver eyes.

'Very good Mr. Malfoy. You were very quick to respond to Harry's hex, but you could have used a less….shall we say….harsh deflection charm.'

Draco turned away and got ready for his turn to be knocked down; he felt sure that Harry would try and get him back for that last one. Harry stood up slowly and Draco was surprised to see the red patches on his knees quickly disappear.

'Alright then Harry? Good, now it's your turn to deflect Draco's hex of choice.'

Draco thought hard about it, the best hex to use on Potter without getting expelled. He had to keep up the image of a heartless Slytherin.

Seeing Harry looking at him he quickly yelled, 'Familia Imagene!'

Harry quickly put up his wand and seemed to absorb the spell. His eyes staring straight into Draco's. Suddenly Draco could hear a voice in his head.

'Dirty trick Malfoy.'

'Potter?'

'Who else?'

'Get out of my head!'

'I will, soon enough.'

Draco used as much energy as he could and visualized pushing the voice out of a small door at the back of his head. When next he looked up he caught Harry looking at him with a white face.

Sneering at the Boy-Who-Lived he said, 'Nice catch Potter.'

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

Harry sat in his red leather chair, staring into the flames of the common room. He hadn't meant to see into Malfoy's mind, he hadn't meant to see the blond Slytherin's thoughts or his memories. But now, he couldn't forget it.

'Urgh, I can't believe we're getting detention for something Malfoy started.'

Harry sighed and looked to his friend, 'Mate, it wasn't his fault.'

Ron looked at him and said in a disbelieving voice, 'Harry, you're not actually suggesting that Malfoy was innocent on this are you?'

Harry closed his eyes and rested his head back on the warmed leather, 'I'm only saying tat you weren't completely innocent on this, either.'

Ron looked at Harry disbelievingly and said, 'I don't know you.'

Standing up, the red head walked away. Sighing in frustration, and anger, Harry ran a hand through his hair. Why did everything have to end up being his fault? First it was Cedric's death, then Mr. Weasley had been bitten by Harry the snake, he had killed Sirius, but the worst thing of all, was that he had lost The War. The one meant to end all.

'Shove off it. You're not important enough to be blamed for all of that. You just need to find some sort of diversion to calm you down.'

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