Chapter Eleven- The Cursed Necklace

Harry spent the following week busy with classes, homework, and Quidditch practice. He hardly felt the need to be intimate with Snape which concerned him and said as much.

Snape smiled at him. "You are still as affectionate and needy as always, though only at bedtime. Don't worry: The intimacy peaks in springtime and besides, we're both busy with our respective duties."

"Would you like to come to practice Saturday?"

"I believe I would and I'm ready to fully support Gryffindor."

The look of joy on Harry's face filled Snape's heart with happiness. Malfoy may hate him and he may be Head of Slytherin, but his mate was Gryffindor and his issue of divided loyalties was no more. He hadn't seen Harry's team practice but he had certainly talked about the team he had put together last weekend. I look forward to seeing them practice. None will question my presence as they know we're mates.

Practice day dawned bright and cool but that didn't bother Harry; to him, it was a nice day for practice. He talked strategy with Ron as they and Hermione met up in the Entrance Hall. They had barely entered the Great Hall when they were stopped by Slughorn who extended dinner invitations to Harry and Hermione for that night. Harry graciously accepted, still certain that it was the right way to go. I still don't know why I should get to know Slughorn but Dumbledore and Severus' hints make it clear that I should. Eventually, I'll learn why it's important to know him.

September melted into October and Harry and Snape were involved in personal missions. Harry had been to three more dinners with Slughorn and felt he was getting to know the Potions Master well. He was sure that practically anything he wanted from Slughorn, he would receive.

Snape, however, was not having such luck. He sent several summons to Draco ot come to his office, but the pale boy ignored them. He pored over the map when he had time, but Draco's movements were typical for a student. He knew what Draco was going to do but not how and it frustrated him. He acknowledged that some people may end up hurt as a result of Draco's determination to not confide to anyone. He only hoped the damage wouldn't be too great or catastrophic.

Mid-October brought a Hogsmeade trip and, to Harry, it was a welcome thing. He was glad the trips were allowed to continue despite the murders and disappearances that still occurred in the Wizarding community. Hermione still had a subscription to The Daily Prophet and occasionally told Harry and Ron anything she read that was of interest. This Saturday was one of those times.

"Stan Shunpike's been arrested," she said. "On suspicion of being a Death Eater."

"What!?" Harry gasped. "He's not a Death Eater."

"Says here he was gossiping about Death Eater plans in a pub."

Harry shook his head. He doubted Stan was a Death Eater. He recalled Stan boasting to some veela at the World Cup a couple of years ago. It was likely Stan was just trying to make himself seem important. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong thing to boast about. He was brought out of his thoughts by one of his team mates giving him a scroll.

"Dumbledore's next lesson,' he whispered excitedly to his friends as he unrolled it to read it. "Monday night." He smiled at the scroll and felt his tail wag. He had wondered earlier why there had been no lessons after the first one and concluded that if these lesson relied on memories, then it takes time to acquire them. But Severus said he's dying. What if he doesn't get all the memories he wants to show me?

He dwelled on the headmaster on the way to Hogsmeade. He hadn't told Ron or Hermione about the curse, mostly because he didn't want them to worry and also he felt it wasn't his place to tell. Severus told me because we're mates and hide very little from each other.

Blustery winds and sleet stung at their exposed skin and Harry folded his ears to prevent the frozen pellets from landing in them. They bent their heads against the weather and once in town, found Zonko's closed. However, Ron saw Honeyduke's was open and they rushed gratefully into the sugary warmth.

"Harry, m'boy!" came Slughorn's voice and he turned to see him and wondered how he could have missed him as he took up a quarter of the shop. "It's good to see you again. I was hoping I would. I was wondering if you could perform some fox magic at my next dinner party Monday night."

Harry's ears drooped. "I'm sorry, professor but I have an appointment with Dumbledore that night. I'm really sorry."

"Ah, no worries m'boy. Maybe next time." Slughorn eased himself out of the shop.

"That is a shame," Hermione said. "I imagine it would have been…entertaining, I guess."

"Maybe, but I would have limited it to spells we've learned. Most of our special abilities like taking fox form should stay between ourselves and our most trustworthy friends like you and Ron and the teachers." Harry plucked some sugar quills.

"How come?" Ron asked as they paid and left.

"I don't want Voldemort to know about it. That might be what helps me survive." Harry's ears folded as the trio trudged to The Three Broomsticks. "If I do any of that special magic in front of Malfoy or the children of Death Eaters, it'll eventually reach Voldemort's ears."

"Malfoy's the son of a Death Eater. Why single him out?" Ron asked.

"Because he's a Death Eater himself. Severus saw the Dark Mark on him."

"Really?" both friends chorused as they sat down at a table with drinks.

Harry nodded. "He's been set a task to fulfill and Severus is pretending to offer his help but Malfoy wants to do it himself so Severus is going to tail him in secret using my map." Harry sipped his butterbeer and looked out the window. The weather seemed to be getting worse and he thought of taking fox form once in his room and burrowing under the bed covers or cuddling with his mate. "Guys, how about we finish these and head back? Weather's looking pretty bad right now."

They agreed and when they left, they were behind Katie and her friend, Leanne. The winds were almost deafening and yet the sounds of Katie and Leanne reached them. They couldn't hear what they were saying but they could see them tugging back and forth on a brown package. The next sequence of events was bizarre and scary. The packaging tore as it fell to the ground and then Katie was floating in mid-air, arms outstretched. Her head was thrown back and her mouth was open in a scream that was unheard over the wind. Harry rushed forward as Katie began to fall and used the levitation spell to lower her safely to the ground. Katie was writhing but unresponsive otherwise and Harry suspected that she had been cursed. "I'll get help," he shouted before running toward the castle.

Harry's mind raced as he headed for the castle. What was wrong with Katie? What was in the packaging? Would Katie be okay? He had no doubt who was responsible: Malfoy. He turned the bend and collided with a bear on its hind legs; actually it was Hagrid.

"Harry, great to see yeh," he said.

"Hagrid, Katie's been cursed!"

"Eh? What?" Hagrid leaned down to hear Harry better.

"Someone's been cursed!" Harry shouted.

"Cursed? Take me there."

Harry led the way back where a large group had gathered. "No one touch her," Hagrid said as he came forward and scooped her up before rushing to the castle. The people dispersed leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione alone with Leanne who was sobbing and hysterical.

"You're Leanne, right?" Hermione asked gently. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Leanne told them what happened between sobs and hindsight made her realize that Katie must have been under the Imperius Curse. "The packaging ripped and then she was floating." Leanne pointed at the now sodden package and Harry went over to get a better look. He saw a flash of opals and his breath caught as he recognized it.

"No one touch it," he said. "That necklace is cursed. I've seen it before." Harry removed his scarf and levitated the necklace so he could carefully wrap it up. "We'll take it back to the castle. Maybe it'll help Madam Pomfrey cure Katie."

The quartet trekked their way back to the castle and once they passed the winged boar statues, they met up with McGonagall. "Hagrid told me what happened. What's that you got, Potter?" She pointed at the scarf.

"The thing that cursed Katie."

"Oh, my! No, Filch, they're with me." she added as Filch came forward with his Secrecy Sensor. She took the scarf and handed it to Filch. "Take that to Snape and don't touch what's inside."

Filch shuffled off and McGonagall led the students to her office where she had Leanne recount the story and then told her to go to the Hospital Wing to get calmed down. She faced Harry and the others. "What is in that scarf?"

"An opal necklace, professor," Harry said. "A cursed one. I saw it in Borgin and Burke's four years ago. Professor, I believe Malfoy put the Imperius Curse on Katie and passed her that necklace."

"That's quite the theory, Potter, but improbable. You see, Mr. Malfoy was not in Hogsmeade as he was serving detention with me today."

Harry stared at the necklace that laid on Severus' desk. "It is lucky that Katie didn't die from it."

"Indeed. Tell me, Harry: What happened today?"

Harry told Severus everything that he heard and saw on the way back to the castle and what he and his friends told McGonagall as well as what Leanne had said.

"She said that Katie seemed odd and said that she needed to take the necklace up to the school? Hmm, clearly someone put the Imperius Curse on Katie and slipped her the necklace. Whoever was supposed to receive this, wouldn't have gotten it as Filch's Secrecy Sensor would have detected the Dark Magic in it."

"Yeah, that was a rather weak attempt. Who would try an attempt like this, knowing it wouldn't reach its victim?"

"I'm afraid I know who: Draco."

"What? But, Professor McGonagall said Malfoy was doing detention today."

"Yes, but doesn't mean that he's not behind it. He could have used an accomplice to give Katie the necklace."

"Will you be questioning Malfoy about it?"

"Eventually. The Headmaster will want the Heads of House to question all their students.

"So, anything else happen in Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah, Slughorn invited me to dinner Monday night but I had to turn it down as Dumbledore's next lesson is that night."

"I see. Well one turn-down isn't that bad. You've done well in getting to know him."

"I wish I knew why," Harry said as they headed to dinner.

That makes two of us, Snape thought.