Disclaimer: I don't own any characters used, they are from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. This is for entertainment purposes only and I do not profit from this fic financially.
"Headmaster, you must consider what I've told you. This is serious!" An angry Harry Potter all but shouted.
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled. "Harry, everything is under control. I have Severus on the task already. There's nothing to worry about and you shan't go around spreading rumors about fellow classmates."
Harry furiously retorted, "Snape is a mind-raping incompetent douche of a proper professor who just also happens to be a Death Eater. He can't be trusted to do anything good for the light side."
"First Harry, it is Professor Snape as he is your professor. And I believe in Severus, so you can trust him. He isn't a Death Eater," Dumbledore said.
"Fine, if you won't do anything about how Malfoy is planning to smuggle in some of Voldemort's most devoted Death Eaters into Hogwarts, then I will ask someone who will!"
Dumbledore tried placating the sixth-year student. "Harry, do not be unreasonable and illogical. Think this through."
Harry ignored Dumbledore and walked out of the Headmaster's office, stomping all the way. His next stop was the Deputy Headmistress', who happened to be his Head of House, office. The young Potter knocked on her door.
Minerva McGonagall yawned as she got out of bed. "Who's there?" she murmured, voice husky with sleep.
"It's me, Harry Potter," Harry replied.
"Why have you knocked at this late hour, Potter?"
"I have something to inform you that you should know. Should I tell you now?"
"If it is this important you come knocking close to midnight, then I suppose you should. Do come in." The portrait guarding Minerva's quarters swung to the side.
"Thank you, Professor. From a credible source, I recently gained information that could threaten the school's safety."
"And what might that be?" Minerva asked as she prepared tea for two.
" I'm getting to that. Malfoy took Voldemort's mark on his left forearm this past Easter. As an initiation test, he has been assigned with a task that could decide he and his father's fates. For this assignment, Malfoy has found two Vanishing Cabinets, one in Borgin and Burkes, the other right here in Hogwarts, in the Room of Requirement. If something was locked into one of the Cabinets, it is likely that it would vanish and reappear in its sister Cabinet. However, the one in Hogwarts is currently damaged and so Malfoy is still fixing it. When he is done, he plans to smuggle a group of Death Eaters into the school and take over for Voldemort. Dumbledore knows of this but won't do anything about it. He let Snape of all people to take care of this!" Harry angrily explains.
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"As Deputy Headmistress, you could expel Malfoy from the school so none of this would happen," Harry suggested.
"While that is true I have the power to do so, you haven't shown any concrete proof of Mister Malfoy's alleged participation. And if Dumbledore has already had it taken care of, then you should trust him," Minerva spoke. Harry then shattered his teacup, spilling its contents onto the floor.
"None of you understand! Nevermind, if you won't do anything about it, then I'll find my own solution. But I hope that you understand that my respect for you is at an all-time low. You're a professor, you're supposed to ensure the safety of the school and its inhabitants. Hogwarts is just a joke, and I finally understand why no one can defeat Voldemort." With those parting words, Harry returned to his common just a little after curfew and slept uneasily. On the other hand, Minerva stayed wide awake the whole night, Potter's words giving her food for thought for hours straight. As the sun's rays began shining through Hogwarts' windows, she came up with a plan, albeit a bit outrageous. She enlisted the help of the Forbidden Forest's centaurs, who were more than eager to help the only two-legged they actually liked. The centaurs then contacted the birds residing within the Forest to watch Malfoy. After a day, they confirmed that he had the Dark Mark. Minerva then began sabotaging the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement, after Malfoy began to slowly fix it. When Dumbledore left with Harry to a remote island full of Inferi, poison, and a fake locket, the Death Eaters entered Borgin and Burkes' Vanishing Cabinet. But nothing happened, and the Death Eaters inside yelled angrily. They apparated out of the store, to Voldemort's side, when Dumbledore's predicted return time passed. The Dark Lord was angry, very angry that his plan failed, that his Death Eaters were incompetent, and that the Malfoy brat did not do as he was told. He summoned all his Death Eaters. Then he called Snape and Malfoy Senior to the front. He asked them why the task he had given them wasn't completed. Snape said he and Malfoy Junior waited at their Vanishing Cabinet for the Death Eaters to come through, which never happened. Lucius claimed to not know anything about the Cabinets not working. Voldemort came to the conclusion that someone knew of his plan and they sabotaged it purposefully. He spared the two Death Eaters, which thinly veiled threats on how he would take their next failure. Voldemort knew that there was only one person that could best him and knew him like the back of their hand-Minerva McGonagall. Voldemort and the good professor had gone to school together and were in fact friends, until they became enemies. She was the only reason he hadn't yet won the world and made everyone his slaves.
Voldemort had never been afraid of Dumbledore, merely disliking him for acting like a saint. You-Know-Who knew Dumbledore would be lost without his Deputy, McGonagall. That was who the Dark Lord feared. She knew much of his secrets, as they were friends for a while. But then, Dumbledore disapproved of their friendship when he found out, and persuaded Minerva to end the friendship. Voldemort wanted revenge, revenge on Dumbledore for taking away his only chance at being loved for who he was, be it friend or lover.
Dumbledore was unhappy. He didn't like the way that Harry Potter outed his schoolmates on the most outrageous of charges. Of course, the Headmaster knew that Potter spoke the truth about the Vanishing Cabinet, but it was all part of his plan to make Potter doubt himself, to believe no one else would believe him, so that he could become the perfect pawn. When no Death Eaters came into the school, Dumbledore thought something might have gone wrong in his plans.
THE NEXT MORNING, AT THE GREAT HALL…
Many students chattered on happily, others trying to wake up. At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy sat with his goons Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy looked a bit worse for the wear, otherwise fine. The Golden Trio sat at the Gryffindor table. Per usual, Ron Weasley was stuffing any food in sight into his mouth, paying no heed to his table manners. Hermione had hauled a large book onto their table and read intently, forgoing her breakfast. Harry's thoughts clouded in his mind. Nothing had happened last night. It had only been a couple of days since Harry had told his teachers about Malfoy, and he was still very angry they had done nothing about it. But as he looked around the Great Hall, he started doubting himself. What if I was wrong? He thought. He quickly finished his miniscule breakfast of toast, bacon, and eggs, and headed to class. Ron was still eating as the Golden Trio left the Hall. Their first lesson was Potions. Harry dreaded the next two hours as they had a double period with Snape, who would be glaring at him the whole time and docking points for unreasonable things.
Harry set his schoolbag on the floor, near his desk. He carefully set it so it wouldn't be in the aisle. He set up his cauldron and stay put.
In came Professor Snape, his black robes billowing behind him as he sneered. He ordered, "The instructions are on the board, get to it."
The class immediately got to work. It was a Gryffindor/Ravenclaw combo, so it wasn't as loud and noisy.