Title: Finding Severus
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: T
Summary: see chapter one
Warnings: see chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. Any and all unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
"In 1254 the organisation S.O.S, or Save Our Squibs, attempted to reject the newly proposed law by the W.I.T, or Wizarding Institution of Tradition. The new decree stated that all squibs were to pay a large tax sum on all magical goods bought. The S.O.S fought for the rights of the squibs but when G.A.G, better known as Giants And Gnomes, was founded by Wilema Dnaw in 1258, the S.O.S had competition as the W.P.J. attempted to use the G.A.G as leverage to campaign against the voting rights of giants, which, as you all know, was banned ever since the disastrous outcome of the 1190 election in which 2 ogres became candidates which lead to the near-collapse of the Ministry..."
Having finally been rescued from Peeves' hexed toilet, Binns was back in action and as dull as ever, droning on as he floated down the aisle, reading out of a transparent book. Every now and then he unknowingly floated through a student, much to their displeasure; any contact with ghost left one feeling cold.
Most students didn't even notice, though, since they were asleep. Some laid sprawled over their desks, the feathers of their quills quivering as they breathed on it. Others laid back, heads skywards as they snored loudly. Sirius had gone as far as to having taken another chair and stretched himself on his back, resting his feet on the edge of James' chair.
In short, none were really paying much attention to the ancient ghost, which was only fair since he got back at them when he gave them 'P's' and 'D's' on their exams. So all in all, it evened out.
Severus blinked sleepily through his black bangs, grateful that they hid his eyes for the most part. He prided himself in normally being a very attentive student but Binns would have bored himself to death if it wasn't for the fact that he was already dead. Still, Severus tried his best to make notes though they were no more than a few random words on his parchment.
"Can anyone tell me why the W.I.T. had to rewrite the 500 year old law that allowed any wizard or witch the rights to obtain a Djengi?" Binns asked though his only answer was a particular loud snore from a Ravenclaw who turned in his sleep.
Surprisingly, a hand shot up.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley?"
"Because someone had brought it to the muggle world and they began using it just for amusement?" answered a freckled-face red-head who sat at the front of the class.
"5 points for Gryffindor," Binns said, with as much 'enthusiasm' as always. "Djengi is an age-old practice in which wizards and witches communicate with their deceased family or friends. One such Djengi board managed to find its way into a muggle's hands and it became the phenomenon known as Ouija in the muggle world. The W.I.T. feared the muggles would use the board to find a way to our world so the practise was restricted to only highly educated wizards and witches."
"But, sir," Weasley spoke up again, entranced as always when it came to muggles, "if the W.I.T. was worried that muggles could discover a route, doesn't this prove that muggles aren't as simple minded as many wizards believe?"
"Not again..." Sirius groaned loudly, rolling his eyes as his classmate went on to discuss the many good aspects of muggles.
Silently agreeing with Sirius, for once, Severus placed his quill down and leaned on his elbows, bowing his head as he fought himself not to nod off to sleep.
"How can any wizard be interested in muggles?" asked a voice next to him and he was grateful for the distraction. Looking up to meet Lucius' inquiring eyes, he smiled.
"He finds them fascinating. Arthur is always trying to convince everyone that muggles are more than we believe. He collects muggle artefacts."
Lucius gave him a disbelieving look before shaking his head and returning for his notes, which were long and detailed. How the blond managed to actually pay attention was a mystery to Severus. There wasn't the slightest sign of sleep in the aqua eyes.
Thankfully, before he collapsed of boredom, the bell sounded, starting the sleeping students, some slipping out off their seats. Everyone quickly packed their things, hoping to escape the intoxicating dullness that hung like a cloud in the classroom. Also, this had been their final lesson and most were eager to return to their rooms to continue on sleeping.
"So where are you going now?" Severus asked as they left the class, passing a group of first year Hufflepuff girls who giggled and blushed when Lucius looked their way.
"The Quidditch field, if I can find it."
He blinked before sighing mentally; he had forgotten about the try-outs.
'Might as well show him the way; most likely it will be the last time we will hang out together."
"I have to get my broom and change. I'll be right back."
"Okay."
The blond offered a parting smile, tossing his golden hair out of his face before tying it back and picking up his spotless black satchel. The long ponytail swayed over the black cloak as the blond strode off, soon turning the corner to disappear from his view.
Leaning back against a massive pillar, he clutched his satchel to his chest, a somewhat defensive gesture he always did. His hand rested on the front pocket and he froze for a second when he found it empty only to remind himself that Pewter was still healing.
While he made a mental note to go check on his amphibian friend he failed to hear the footsteps as they came up behind him. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder and he jumped, spinning around, black eyes wide and anxious. It only heightened when he met Sirius' equally dark eyes.
"What do you want?" he demanded, or at least tried to demand, his voice coming out too shaky to be convincing.
"Just saw you standing here," the Gryffindor shrugged casually, leaning against the pillar, his Phoenix '98 racing broom held in the crook of his arm.
Severus stepped back when the hand lifted, eyeing the taller teen suspiciously.
"Where are your friends?" he asked. A trap. They were planning something and Sirius was there to distract him.
Sirius laughed, shaking his head, making the dark tresses bob slightly.
"You are so distrusting. Can't a student say 'hi' to his fellow school goer?"
Had it been Lupin he wouldn't have been on such high alert. Pettigrew was too big a coward to approach anyone on his own. It were James and Sirius who were the real troublemakers who never allowed a chance like this to pass them by.
A few moments passed between them before Sirius sighed, shrugging his careless shrug again.
"Well, I have to go to practise…Hey, isn't the Slytherin team also practicing today?"
Mystery solved. Sirius was doing the same thing the Slytherin team had; using him to get to Lucius. However, unlike the players, Sirius was not at all intended to befriend him, all he wanted was Lucius.
Scowling, he turned and started to walk off when the hand grabbed him again, much more forcefully this time.
"What? Feeling high and mighty lately? It doesn't fit you, Snivellus. Doesn't matter who you hang out with; you'll always be a nobody."
With those sneering words, he shoved the thin boy, snickering when he landed in a jumbled heap on the ground.
"See you on the field, Snivellus."
The dark robes brushed pass him as Sirius walked off, smiling smugly.
Rising to sore knees, he wiped the thin line of blood that dribbled from where his teeth had caught his lip upon impact. At least the halls were empty; no one was there to laugh or tease him.
He had just gotten to his feet when footsteps made him spin around, holding his satchel rather defensively against him.
"Sorry for the wait. I..." Lucius fell silent as he met Severus' wide eyes. "Are you okay? You're bleeding!"
Faking calm, he shrugged.
"What happened?" Lucius asked, brushing away the limp hair as he searched for any other injuries on the pale face.
Stepping back, Severus shook his head, wiping away the already thinning trail of crimson.
"I tripped."
"No you didn't." Lucius narrowed his eyes, easily seeing through the lie.
Shouldering his satchel, he started for the entrance hall which led to the Quidditch field.
"We better get going; you don't want to be late."
Lucius didn't break off the sharp stare for several moments but finally nodded and followed his friend.
The sun was shining in the afternoon skies which were clear and blue; perfect weather for flying. The grass beneath their feet was lush and green, contrasting with their dark robes. Robes?
"You already got your Quidditch uniform?" Severus made conversation, referring to the blonde's recognizable attire.
"Not the official one, but I can't fly in the school's uniform."
Recalling Sirius, (with a shiver), and his broom, Severus looked over to study Lucius' own broom.
"That looks pretty expensive," he noted, eyeing the sleek black painted handle. The bristles had been combed back in streamlined perfection, ideal against wind-resistance. Twin metal handles wrapped around the wood, gripping the bristles and giving the rider perfect balance. Engraved in flowing silver letters was the name; Dragon Blazer.
"You got that right! That there is the best, most sought after, and most expensive top-of-the-class racing broom ever to be created!"
Sean and Thomas came up to walk on either side of them though their eyes were glued on Lucius' broom.
"Whoa! Those things are only used in the championships!"
"We have the Flash nr.3, one of the best, but it doesn't even come close to a Dragon."
"Are you any good on it?"
"How long have you had it?"
Lucius merely smiled politely and nodded at their questions but the attention was not of his liking. Luckily, the towering walls and spectator stands loomed before them, all ports closed, since students weren't just allowed in the stadium when there weren't any matches. A side door that led directly onto the field was their only way in.
Severus had never been on the field and it was much more imposing down there than up in the stands. The field was huge and the heights of the hoops made him feel dizzy just looking up at them. He couldn't understand how the players could stomach Quidditch, much less love it. The entire game, flying at such heights, at such speeds, was just a medical emergency waiting to happen.
"We have the left side of the field," Thomas informer, nodding his head to the assembled group of players dressed in black and green. "Gryffindor managed to get their lame carcasses for the same time. Don't know why Dumbledore said yes; he knew we had already scheduled try-outs."
"According to him we won't need the entire field," Sean scoffed, his blond/red hair shining in the sun light.
Looking out of the corner of his eye, Severus could see the seven Gryffindor players, and a small group of supporters, watching the Slytherins' every move. So far they didn't seem intent on training.
"Just trying to steal our tactics."
Lex stood before them, his athletic body clad in captain's uniform.
"During try-outs?" Sean shook his head, grinning. "Man, those dweebs are messed up."
"Whatever, let's get started. Hey," he greeted Lucius and Severus, much to the latter's surprise. "You made it."
"Might as well send the others back to their rooms; this one is in the bag," Thomas bragged, holding up Lucius' broom proudly.
Lex was noticeably impressed.
"If you can prove yourself worthy of that, then welcome to the team."
The rest of the try-out players stood anxiously together, studying Lucius, their eyes widening when they caught sight of his broom. The rest of the team were seated on benches, each having a scrip board. Fritz and Monty sat talking quietly, no doubt swapping opinions on who was already out, their eyes fixed on a rather nervous looking fourth grader. Shirley was talking to two other girls, who were also trying out. From her hand movements it appeared that she was sharing advice with the first-time players.
"Alright, gather around, people!" Lexington shouted, his deep voice startling a few, the boy Fritz and Monty had targeted actually dropping his broom; definitely out.
"This is the try-out for Slytherin's Seeker. You will be evaluated on speed, agility and insight. We don't accept so-so. Any questions?"
"Why are they here?" one boy asked, motioning to the Gryffindors with his chin.
"Don't bother with them. They have 'practise'," Lexington answered.
"Why is he here?" the boy's friend asked, looking at Severus who still stood between Lucius and Sean.
"You got a problem that?" Sean snapped, cold blue eyes narrowing.
Both boys quickly shook their heads and kept silent.
Severus looked about disbelievingly. Sean had just defended him? Maybe he was dreaming, still asleep in Binn's classroom.
"You will go in pairs. The Snitch will be released," Lex pointed with his broom to the box nearby. "Whoever catches it first makes the list. The other can pack up his things and get lost. In the end we will compare and choose our house's new Seeker. We have a time limit; 10 minutes each pair."
A ripple of murmurs ran through the group at the ridiculously short time.
"If you don't like it then leave."
They fell silent.
"Good. Fritz, pair them up. Each pair gets a number. You start when the whistle goes and stop when it goes again. Only if you catch the Snitch within ten minutes will you stop earlier."
"Come on, we'll sit over here," Sean said to Severus, walking towards the bench where the others lounged. "Best seats when someone falls off their broom or crash lands."
He blanched at the mere thought but followed, looking over his shoulder at Lucius who already had a partner, a tall fifth grader who was gushing over the Dragon Blazer.
Sitting down on the open spot next to Monty, he watched anxiously, feeling out of place amongst the athletes. He definitely didn't have a sporting figure and prayed that the others wouldn't start asking him about the game for he wouldn't have a clue what to say.
Lucky for him, the try-outs began.
"Team 1!" Lex shouted, Thomas standing next with him, the ball chest at his feet and timer in his hand.
The first two stepped up, practically itching to fly.
"Mount your brooms!"
Thomas kicked the box, its top popped open. The Bludgers trembled under their restraints even though they weren't needed.
"Get ready!" Lexington held up his arm, signalling them.
The arm fell and Thomas released the Snitch.
With a humming buzz, it shot up, hovering for a few seconds before zipping off. Turf kicked up as the two flyers took off, shooting after the flitting golden ball.
"Meller's take off was awkward--"
"--Unstable, he's hugging the left too much--"
"--Crimpledon's reaction is too slow--"
"--They both take their turns too wide--"
"--Meller looks like he's just tailing Crimpledon--"
"--Angle, five degrees too narrow; he'd never be able to pull off a nose dive--"
"--He should adjust the grip; it looks like he's having some trouble just holding on--"
Severus listened as the team discussed the flaws though he himself would have never been able to tell; they seemed to be pretty good. Better than him for sure, though that wasn't saying much.
His eyes started to hurt as he tried to follow their movements so he looked away, instead studying the others. Lex and Thomas had walked over to sit with them, also making notations. The other try-out flyers did the same, except for Lucius who watched on silently, a soft frown on his face as if mentally disapproving what he saw.
Opposite on the field, the Gryffindors watched as well with ill-hidden glances, some even lying on the grass, shielding their eyes from the sun as they watched the two Slytherins' chase the elusive Snitch above the field.
"One minute left!" Lex shouted.
In the last few seconds Meller was able to reach out and grab the Snitch, though almost fell off of his broom in the process. Beside Severus, Sean shook his head and marked something that looked like a big 'X' on his sheet.
"Next!" Lex announced, not even complimenting the flyers.
Again, two stepped up. One of them being the unfortunate fourth grader Monty and Fritz had singled out. At the moment the boy looked about ready to wet his pants.
"Bet you ten galleons he falls."
Fritz grinned at Monty's challenge and added his own.
"Bet you ten galleons he crashes."
Praying that the boy did neither, he didn't think he would be able to stomach it, Severus again attempted to keep track of the two as they swirled around high above the spectators heads, weaving around the towers and hoops as they chased the Snitch.
Whether Monty and Fritz were the top students in Divination Severus didn't know but sure enough a startled cry followed by a thud and a collective groan and gasps from the crowd later, the fourth grader laid on the ground, stunned but luckily unharmed, though his broom looked as if it had had an encounter with the Whomping Willow.
While a few others ran to assist him, a shout from across the field caught their attention.
"Behold to the great skills of Slytherin! Gryffindor beware!" James shouted, grinning as the rest of his house hooted and clapped.
Beside him Monty and the other players rose, looking more than willing to run over and pummel the insufferable Gryffindors into the ground.
"Sit down. We're better than that," Lex ordered and they obeyed, albeit reluctantly.
In the mean time Sean whistled as the ten minutes came to an end, the remaining flyer having been unable to catch the Snitch.
"You are both out," Sean told the two who hung their heads and collected their things and walk off, the fourth grader limping slightly. They were 'supported' by the Gryffindors who graciously applauded their efforts.
"Team three!" Lex shouted.
Lucius stepped forward and a sudden silence fell over the entire field. Even the Gryffindors shut up, James and Sirius taking on a much more serious personality.
"Same rules, same time-limit. The Snitch is still out there. On three!"
Though both riders mounted their brooms, all eyes were definitely on Lucius.
"This is going to be good," Fritz whispered to Thomas who nodded.
"One..! Two..! Three!"
"Whoa!" Sean and Lex stepped back, shielding their eyes as grass and the dirt beneath it went air born.
Severus could only watch in total awe. He was no player, but having only seen his take-off, he knew that Lucius had more than just 'mere skills'. Already a good thirty feet ahead of the fifth-grader and gaining more distance, Lucius suddenly made a dive; he had already found the Snitch.
"--His movements are flawless!--"
"--Check out the balance!--"
"--He's right on it!--"
"--did you see that barrel roll!--"
"--Man, I've never seen anybody move like that!--"
"--Is he...?--"
"--I don't believe it...!--"
"--He got the Snitch!--"
Sean's whistle echoed through the stadium, ending the round. Around him everyone burst in conversation, unable to believe it.
"1 minute, 14 seconds," Fritz whistled. "He caught the little bugger in less than two minutes!"
"You're kidding! No one has ever been that quick!"
Across the field, the Gryffindors were also talking, though from the looks they appeared somewhat...nervous? James was scowling, glowering at Lucius before standing and stalking away, his fellow Marauders following though Sirius didn't seem to be sharing his friend's distaste.
Sitting silently amongst his chattering house mates, Severus was still trying to understand what had just happened. One minute Lucius had taken off, the next he was returning to them, the glimmering wings on the Snitch still fluttering in his hand.
The blond touched down smoothly and dismounted. Aside from his hair which was slightly wind-tousled, Lucius looked as calm as ever, walking over to Lex and silently handing him the Snitch, which the captain accepted, eyes wide for a moment before a wide grin spread across his face.
"Team, meet our new Seeker!"
The players cheered and the others who had come to try-out applauded. They weren't stupid; to win they needed the best and none of them could even dream to compare to the new student.
Lucius blinked at the swift announcement but accepted it and nodded his thanks to Lex, accepting the strong handshake from his captain. Others crowded around him, slapping his back and congratulating him. The other players jogged over, hollering and cheering as they welcomed their new team mate. Lucius took it in stride, smiling and even laughing with them as he accepted the Seeker badge from Lex.
"We'll celebrate at Hogsmead! Drinks on me!" Lex shouted over the din to the other players, bringing on an even louder cheering.
Severus remained where he was on the now empty bench. He smiled softly, glad that Lucius had made the team. However, watching the small crowd around the blond, he sighed.
It was official; he was the loner once again. The players were bound to drag Lucius off to celebrate somewhere. Hell, his stuff had probably already been relocated to a new room in the dorms.
'At least I had a friend for a day...'
Giving the group another glance, he picked up his satchel and made his way off the field.
"Just give him a few of these roots every two hours for the next four days and he'll be fine."
"Thank you, Madam Mink." Severus smiled gratefully at the elderly witch, holding Pewter close as the toad contently borrowed into the cloth of his robes, glad to be reunited with its owner. "I was afraid that the leg was broken for good."
"Nothing a good bone-mending potion couldn't fix. You'd be amazed at how important potions can be."
"Oh, I know," he offered her a small smile. Looking up at the darkening skies, he decided it best to get going.
"You've better be off now," Professor Mink said as if having read his mind. "Come back if anything happens to Pewter, though I truly doubt it. Next to the injuries, he's in tip-top condition. You truly know how to look after you pet."
"Thank you, ma'am," he said again, blushing at the compliment.
She smiled and turned, walking back into the forest where she had been busy feeding a few stray creatures.
Holding his friend at eye-level, Severus smiled widely for the first time in the past hour.
"No matter what, I still have you, Pewter."
The big eyes blinked as Pewter paused with chewing his owner's thumb, tilting his wide head to one side as if understanding the pale boy's feelings.
"Let's go inside, don't want you catching a cold now."
Holding Pewter close, he quickly made his way back to his lonely room. Underway, though,he changed his mind and instead he went to the library, intent on getting some homework done.
Madam Novell looked up from her ever standing pile of papers as he walked by her desk. She, like the books, was pretty aged and somewhat vague. But her books and the library were her children and she had rules for about every single thing. Warnings were posted everywhere and a few spells had been cast about; the very air was triggered with a snared spell which took away a person's voice for a day or two if they spoke too loud.
Despite the many booby-traps and the stuffy atmosphere, the library was his favourite place in the entire school. He loved reading and the solitude the place offered but also no one could play any pranks on him or call him something from across the room so he was usually able to get some work done.
Though it only was the second day of the new year, the library was pretty full; nervous first-years wanting to make good impressions on their teachers sat together at the tables while the seventh year students milled around, looking through books for their final OWL's and NEWT's.
Not about to sit amongst the first-graders and with no other empty table in sight, Severus continued on further into the library, looking about for a table.
Upon walking pass another staggering bookshelf, he found a table with only two students but hesitated. Two red-headed girls sat next to each other as they discussed something over a musty book, making notes and referring to pictures. Neither had noticed him yet and he started to turn to walk away when one of the two suddenly looked up, her jaded green eyes meeting his dark ones.
"Severus?" She looked around before smiling. "Come on, there's more than enough room for one more."
At her voice the other, pudgier, red-head looked up too.
"Aye, it would be kinda selfish of us to hog this table."
Few, VERY few students, though not what he could call friends, talked to him and these were two of them and it would be rude to decline the offer.
"Thanks," he said softly and began to take a seat when he caught sight of the third satchel. A sudden thought struck and he froze, staring back up at Lily.
Catching sight of what had worried him, she smiled and shook her head.
"That's Arthur's satchel; he's looking for a book somewhere over there. James isn't here."
Relieved, he sat down and started to take his things out of his bag.
"Are you okay?" Lily asked.
"Yeah..."
"I heard what James and Sirius did yesterday. I'm really sorry. I gave him a good scolding but he never listens." She sighed, leaning back in her seat. "Sometimes I wonder why I put up with him."
"Because he is popular and good-looking?" Molly quipped, earning a playful shove from her friend.
Watching the two interact he was briefly reminded of the short-lived friendship he had shared with Lucius but he pushed it out of his head. Instead he leaned over and began to scribble away on his parchment. Footsteps brought Arthur Weasley to the table.
"I found that Pickle-Berry beetle's origins but the...oh, hello!" he said when he caught sight of the newcomer. "How are you doing?"
"I'll live."
Not deterred by the short answer, he took a seat next to the pale boy.
"Fascinating facts in History today, weren't they? I would have never thought that muggle ancestors could have moved such huge blocks to build those pyromites."
"It's pyramids, Arthur," Molly rolled her eyes though there was a sparkle of amusement in them.
"Still, how did they ever do it without magic? Are muggles really that strong? Did they lift it on their backs?"
"Let's just focus on this Transfiguration first, and then we can talk about the History assignment," Lily suggested, knowing that if they let him Arthur would spend the whole afternoon, and evening, talking about the wonderful world of muggles.
"Yeah, good idea. Then I'll show you a few artefacts I've found that came from the muggle world. Took me a lot of searching at Diagon Alley and all of my pocket-galleons but they are worth it!"
"Deal. Alright, now how--"
"Wait a minute?" Arthur interrupted Molly as he turned to Severus before looking around. "Where's the new guy?"
"Huh?" Severus blinked, having been in deep concentration when the other boy tapped his arm.
"I thought I saw you with the new student. Heck, you were almost inseparable for the past two days."
Lily and Molly must have wondered the same thing but being more polite, if not insightful, they had kept their inquiries to themselves. Arthur was not so subtle.
"Oh…well...I...he..."
He couldn't find any sensible words. What was he to say; 'Oh sure, we were best friends but now he's in a better crowd so he doesn't want to be around me anymore'?
"He's new so he probably has other things to do. Maybe he's taking extra lessons or something," Lily offered, taking Arthur's focus off of Severus as the Slytherin looked flustered.
"Really? Doubt it. A Malfoy doesn't need extra lessons. Or, that's what I heard."
This got everyone at the table's attention.
"What do you know about him? You haven't even spoken to him yet."
His freckles disappeared beneath a blush that spread till his ears, almost matching his hair.
"Ah...I kinda...you see..."
"Arthur Weasley!" Molly snapped as softly as she could. "Have you been snooping around in the student files again?"
"No!" he denied loudly, just barely remaining within the noise limit. Quickly dropping his voice, he leaned forward and whispered again, "No, I haven't."
"So how do you know?" Lily challenged, also leaning forward though out of curiosity.
Severus, more intrigued than any of them, remained silent.
Looking around nervously, Arthur said in a serious voice,
"Okay, listen, nothing, nothing I say is allowed to leave this table, understood? I trust you guys to keep it a secret. Don't tell anyone."
Molly and Lily nodded, swearing an oath. Arthur then turned to Severus, silently asking the same of him.
Anxious to learn anything about the mysterious blond, he raised his hand in swear.
Hesitating for a moment, Arthur then began to speak.
"It's like this; my dad works at the Ministry, as you all know. During the summer vacation he brought me there a few times; he keeps saying that I should familiarize myself with the building if ever I should go work there after Hogwarts. Do you know that they have a special department for Muggles? I've filled out a few applications and--"
"Arthur, get to the point!" Molly broke in.
"Oh, yeah, right, sorry about that," he blushed again. "Anyways, one day my dad asked me to send off some mail for him. I don't think he had expected me back so soon because when I returned he was talking to a close co-worker of his about some big incident which had put the Ministry in over-time to cover-up. Apparently something had happened that was supposed to stay Top Secret. You know, hush-hush business."
By now they were all practically laying on the table, engrossed in the story.
"What had happened?" Molly asked.
"Don't really know. I do know, though, that it had something to do with the Malfoy family."
When he received blank stares it was his turn to look incredulous.
"You've never heard of the name Malfoy?"
All three shook their heads though something in the back of Severus' head clicked. Now that Arthur had brought it up...he could have sworn he had heard that name before Lucius had come to Hogwarts.
"Malcolm Malfoy is one of the top figures at the Ministry. Many think that he'll be the next minister! Smart to the book and able to confront anyone and come out on top. Pop says that simply being in the same room as him makes you feel tiny and insignificant."
"But who is this Malcom..." Lily's eyes widened, "Is he Lucius' father?"
Arthur nodded.
"Like father, like son. From what I've heard Malcolm has pruned Lucius into the perfect heir. Which is why I don't believe that he needs any extra classes; he's said to have been the best student at his former school."
"So why did he change schools?"
'…I've heard that the reason why you came to Hogwarts is because you were expelled from your former school…'
James' words came back to Severus and he couldn't help frowning. If Lucius had been such a good student, why had he been expelled? And how would James know of it?
"That's what's being hushed up. Whatever it was made Malcolm either really shaken or really angry. My dad said he paid hundreds of thousands of galleons to have people fix the situation. All I know is that whatever it is it has really brought the Ministry in a tizzy, and that means that it's big."
No one spoke, all of them wondering the exact same thing.
What could Lucius, a gentle, soft-spoken and intelligent boy, have possibly done to create such havoc?
Tbc...
Read & Review, please.