Harry picked at his dinner with his fork. He glanced up briefly and noticed Malfoy was doing the same thing at the Slytherin table, and that Jas was sitting next to him looking quite smug and sending the occasional smirk in Harry's direction. Bitch, Harry concluded. Harry glanced up at the teachers table and caught Snape's eye who sneered at him disgustedly before returning to his meal.

"Harry whatever did that mash potato do to you?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing." He muttered, laying his fork down.

"What's up with you mate?" Ron asked. "You've been sulking ever since we came back." Harry just shrugged and didn't say anything. "Snape looked pretty annoyed when he stormed out, was it something to do with that?" Ron queried.

"He didn't walk in on you and Malfoy weren't fighting did he?" Hermione asked.

"No, no we weren't fighting." Harry assured her. If only they'd been fighting, then they wouldn't have had to endure the comments from Snape of being mentally scarred for life, and Jas' smug and amused face throughout it. "I'm not hungry," he announced, standing up. "I think I'll go for a walk." He said, Hermione and Ron seemed to get the hint, for once, that he wanted to be alone and stayed sitting.

"Okay Harry, see you later?" Hermione asked.

"Sure." He smiled as he left. After wandering aimlessly for a while, Harry found himself atop the astronomy tower, gazing out across the grounds.

"Not thinking about jumping off are you Potter?"

"No." Harry said turning round to face the intruder.

"Good," Malfoy smirked as he advanced on Harry, "Because I believe we have some unfinished business to attend to."

It was the Sunday before school resumed and Harry was feeling a little smothered. Hermione and Ron had taken to sticking to his side twenty four hours a day. He presumed it was due to his slightly depressed state when they had returned from Grimmauld place, they seemed to have failed to notice that he was no longer in a low mood.

It was beginning to grate on his nerves slightly because it meant he had no time to himself, or time to hang out with Jas or to rendezvous with certain other Slytherin acquaintances . . .

He and Ron walked back from the Great Hall after dinner, talking idly about the upcoming Quidditch match. They were just about to ascend the stairs when something caught Harry's eye.

Stopping, he walked towards a cupboard who's door was slightly open. What had caught Harry's eye was the red substances oozing out from underneath the doors. Blood.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron asked following him over. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked fearfully. Harry nodded and hesitantly reached out a hand and pulled open the doors.

An unconscious Draco Malfoy fell out towards them and Harry just managed to catch him before his head hit the floor.

"Give me a hand Ron." Harry requested, and they both pulled him out so he was lying on the corridor floor. Blood was slowly oozing from the top of his right arm, and was also congealed at his temple. Harry gently brushed some bloody blonde strands of hair off of his face. "Enervate." Harry muttered, and slate grey eyes blinked at him blearily.

"Potter?" he croaked.

"Draco, you okay?" Harry asked. Draco blinked again and seemed to gain his bearings. His eyes filled with fear and he shook his head frantically and tried to sit up.

"It's a trap Potter." He murmured. "Get out of here."

"I'm afraid it's a little late for that." An amused voice said from behind them, Ron and Harry whipped their heads round to locate the source of the voice. "Boys." Morton smiled at them, wand drawn. "Acio wands." He muttered and Harry's and Ron's wands flew towards his open hand.

"Professor, the coast is clear." Hannah said as she walked round the corner towards them.

"Hannah?" Harry asked incredulously. Although he'd known she was a likely suspect, it was a whole different matter to have the mild mannered Hufflepuff pointing her wand at him.

"Harry, Ron." She acknowledged.

"Thank you Hannah. Now that I know this is a private party perhaps we should get down to business?" he said airily.

"And what would that business be?" Harry asked, still grasping a protective hand round Draco's wrist as he tried to sit up.

"I don't know, I was thinking a little pain, a few screams . . .your untimely deaths." He grinned maniacally, and before Harry could even blink he heard a muttered, "Crucio." And Ron was writhing on the floor in pain besides him.

"Stop!" Harry exclaimed. Morton lifted the curse and smiled.

"What's wrong Potter? Can't stand to see other people in pain? How interesting . . . CRUCIO!" he aimed at Draco this time. Morton lifted the spell after a few seconds and smiled again.

"Get to it already." Harry growled standing up and standing protectively in front of Ron and Draco.

"Watch your mouth Potter, I'll do as I wish thank you." Morton sneered.

"You're just a coward, I bet you can't even do it." Harry goaded him, trying to draw his attention away from the boys on the floor behind him. "I bet you couldn't kill me if you tried."

"Why you . . ." Morton growled angrily. "If the Dark Lord didn't want you for himself . . ."

"Oh that's your excuse is it? Saving me for good ol' Tom." Harry snorted. A nearby vase exploded as Morton glowered furiously at Harry.

"If that's the way you want it Potter." Morton said, aiming his wand at Harry.

"Sir, no!" Hannah exclaimed. Morton turned to face her, Harry stepped back to cover the other two while he was distracted. If he hadn't been watching them so intently he might have noticed Draco moving.

"Shut up you stupid girl." Morton snarled at her and turned to face Harry. "Avada Kedavra!" he yelled. A deadly green light shot towards Harry, whose vision was suddenly blocked by the back of a blonde head of hair.

"PROTEGO FORTIS!" Draco screamed, and they were engulfed in blue light. When Harry's vision returned, he saw that Draco was lying on the floor in front of him. Morton was looking angrier than ever.

"Shame, he would have made such a good Death Eater." Morton commented as he raised his wand at Harry again. But Harry just smiled at him.

"Whereas you Miles, make a pretty crappy one. You didn't even notice when I sneaked up behind you." Snape sneered. "Stupify." He muttered and Morton fell to the ground with a sickening thump. "I suggest you hand your want over Miss. Abbot." He said sternly to Hannah, who did as she was told.

Confident that they were now safe, Harry dropped to his knees and checked Draco's pulse. Sighing in relief when he felt the steady pulse he turned to look at his Potions Master.

"He's alive." He told him. Snape dropped down next to him and muttered a spell.

"Barely." He commented. "Come." He said, lifting Draco up in his arms. "We should get to the hospital wing. Minerva, you can keep and eye on Morton and Miss. Abbot until the Headmaster arrives can't you?" Snape asked. Harry just noticed the presence of his head of house.

"Professor, you're-?"

"Conscious?" she smiled. "Severus just administered the last dose of a potion he concocted to awake me from my magically induced coma." She glanced thankfully at Snape. "Now hurry along to the hospital wing, I will take care of this." she said sternly.

"Yes Professor." Harry said as he put an arm round Ron to support him as they headed towards the hospital wing.

Ooooooo, drama! I love it! Thanks to Captain Oz for reviewing the last chapter! Sorry it's been ages, please review this one! x