They were doing it again. The Carrow-siblings seemed to enjoy their sudden increase in power. It had gone over their heads. Apparently, being appointed 'teachers' by the Dark Lord meant they should be respected. However, over the past couple of months it seemed that the rest of the castle didn't agree with them. So, they had started demanding their so-called respect. It had started small enough. Public humiliation for defying them, a stinging hex for fighting back. And it had only grown worse.

The teachers were doing what they could, but everyone was treading carefully. If you wronged the Carrow's wrongly, they would only worsen their punishments. It was insane, foolish and sickening. It wasn't helping the cause at all, it actually made people reconsider their values. It didn't matter however. Everyone was too afraid to act upon it. Afraid of being violated, tortured or murdered. If not for them, then for their families and friends.

Though Draco Malfoy could attest that it wasn't a pleasure watching people die, no matter your relationship with them. He hadn't done anything over the past two years of his own choice. He had joined the Inquisitorial Squad in order to keep an eye on Harry bloody Potter, only for it to fail when his idiotic friends joined Potter at the Ministry and somehow ward off a string of Death Eaters. Draco had no idea how they had done it, but apparently the blame fell to him when Potter didn't arrive alone. How should he have known that five additional students, who didn't even receive their O.W.L's yet, could cause such a hassle.

For his, and his father's, failure, he had been 'rewarded' with a mark on his arm. Apparently, killing Dumbledore, the one wizard even the Dark Lord didn't dare to fight, was his redemption to good grazes with their leader. He had known it to be a doomed task from the start, resigning that he would never turn of age. Somehow, he had come further then he anticipated. He had let his deranged aunt and several other murderers enter the castle, before disarming the Headmaster.

He had known something was wrong, the man had already been in a weakened state. In all fairness, for a moment he had wondered if the man would die before he had the chance to kill him. Yet, he had failed once again. He had the opportunity, the means and the time, but in the end, he didn't have the heart. He had been too weak, too weak to protect his own mother, to end a man's life. In the end, Snape had done it for him.

The summer after had somehow been even worse than the previous one. Because now, he had been an official Death Eater. He might have failed, but his task had been fulfilled, and after a couple rounds of torture, he had been welcomed back to live the life of one of the Dark Lord's followers.

All in all, he had done nothing but follow orders since the Dark Lord had returned. In all honesty though, he had done it all of his life. Except at the end of his fourth year, his father had been exchanged by a terrifying, powerful and horrifying man. If you even could call him that, because if his Occlumency skills hadn't been perfected over the years, the people who had been prying in his mind would have found that he didn't consider the Dark Lord a man at all.

And now, it was happening again. Neville Longbottom had apparently defended a couple of first years, so the Carrows had decided to torture in public. The screams of his classmate could be heard echoing in the Great Hall at dinner. Though, he doubted anyone had actually touched their food. They were all watching. Nobody daring to help, in fear of the same fate. Even the teacher did nothing but sit with pale faces at the head table, because they knew if they interfered, Longbottom's fate would have been sealed. He could no longer sit hear watching the boy get Crucio'd as he had done over the summer for multiple muggles. Yet, this wasn't a muggle, this was a wizard, Pureblood even, who he had shared a castle and classes with for almost seven years.

And then, as the Carrow siblings decided to spill Longbottom's blood with a slicing-hex, it struck him. An idea. A very risky and probably painful idea. But he had enough of hearing the screams, of sitting around, of obeying orders. So, he said so.

"Enough!" he demanded. His voice loud enough to be heard in the Great Hall, despite Longbottom's whimpering, but without actually yelling.

Because yelling meant losing control. And Malfoy's didn't lose control. They were the best of the best. Pureblood, wealthy, intelligent. The list went on and on. He had been taught how he was superior to everybody else and it was time he claimed the respect that came with his place in society.

"What was that, Malfoy?" the female-sibling hissed.

He wasn't deterred however and said simply: "I said let the blood traitor be, Alecto."

"And what makes you think you have any say in what we do?" she continued hissed.

He simply raised an eyebrow and drawled in a way only a Malfoy could: "Well, I am your superior after all. Or have you forgotten I am the Malfoy-heir?"

She bristled. "Your name doesn't mean anything after failing the Dark Lord."

"The Dark Lord isn't here. And as such I demand you stop spilling valuable pureblood. Or have you also forgotten it's the Dark Lord's mission to ensure the power of the pureblood families once again? I recall several meetings over the past summer where he has voiced that it was time for purebloods to stop spilling their blood? And yet, here you are so willingly going against his orders."

Alecto seemed to be momentarily lost for words, but her brother was more than willing to cut in on her behalf.

"Would it please you more if we returned to Crucio him oh great Malfoy?" Amycus mocked.

Draco looked at his fellow Death Eater with as much incredulity as he could muster.

"No," he spoke slowly, "it wouldn't exactly be beneficial for him to follow his parents' fate now would it?"

Amycus narrowed his eyes at him. "Is that so? Because I think you're just to weak to stomach it, just like you were to weak to kill Dumbledore. I wonder what the Dark Lord will have to say when I tell him you defended a blood traitor."

Draco scoffed. "The Dark Lord will forgive Longbottom's foolishness to become a blood traitor. He is after all still a young wizard from one of the purest families. His status is well above yours as such."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Alecto scowled. "Our blood is pure."

He had to supress his smirk, as they suddenly stopped attacking him and merely defending themselves.

"Barely." He hissed in disgust. "Your Grandfather was a muggleborn after all."

A loud gasp fell over the Slytherin table and again he had to hide a grin. His rule had become a bit sloppy the past year with the stress over the war, but this was still his house. They would listen to him and they would give him all the credibility he needed right now.

"How dare you soil our family-name?" Amycus almost growled. "You will show some respect, Malfoy. We outrank you by far as the Dark Lord's followers."

He really wasn't sure how long he could hold his composure anymore. He wanted to laugh so badly at Amycus' stupidity. People might have believed it was a bluff on Draco's part, if the man hadn't stupidly tried to outdo him in another way in the next sentence. Alecto simply refuted any other suspicion with her next outburst.

"We will duel you, Malfoy, if that is what it takes to set you back in place."

Draco whipped out his wand as if he was ready to compline. However, this new turn was also a little worrisome. He was not bad wielded with a wand, not bad at all, and he knew his fair share of dark curse, far more than any other student in this hall. But they had experience and there were two of them. Luckily, Slytherin came through once again.

"As entertaining as it would be to see you embarrass yourself further, Carrows, keep in mind that I will stand by to assist Draco if necessary. His descendance from the Malfoy and Black line is after all only slightly above the Nott's. It would not do for our pure and proud families not to combine our strength."

Theodore Nott was a gift send from beyond, Draco decided. If there was any doubt of the Slytherins following his command, it was squashed in an instant. And he sincerely doubted any of the other houses would be willing to assist the Carrows.

In a desperate attempt, they turned their attention towards the head table, begging the only other Death Eater for help. If they had asked nicely, Snape might even had indulged their demand.

"Snape! Do something about your disrespectful students!"

He internally rolled his eyes. How these fools had ever been considered Slytherin or pureblood was beyond him. They were digging their own grave.

"As if I would listen to a Half-blood." He spat.

"Draco," Snape cut in icily, "I might not be the heir to Noble and Ancient Houses of Malfoy and Black, but you will not disrespect me in my own school. You are still my student."

"Apologies, Headmaster."

Snape nodded in approval and turned his attention back to the Carrows.

"As Draco didn't go against the Dark Lord's wishes, I am not certain what it is you want me to do. His claims to his rights are as far as I know correct." He simply shrugged.

"I could be mistaken of course; I am not a pureblood after all." He added bitterly.

The power-struggle had come at a standstill and the Carrows seemed unsure how to proceed. The only leg they had left to stand on was that they were his teacher, but that became a mere technicality compared to his social status. Eventually they simple decided to ask what he wanted them to with the hurt blood traitor still on the floor.

"Let the other blood traitors clean up the mess." He simply shrugged, before sitting back down and digging into his meal after finally having his appetite return now that he finally had back a simmer of his control, however shortly lived it would be.

It seemed that nobody else knew what to do however, afraid to be the next target for the Death Eaters in the room. So, with a dramatic sigh, Theo spoke up for the second time that evening.

"Weasley, that means you. Get Longbottom out of here and make sure there are no permanent damages after that ordeal. We wouldn't want him to lose his value after all. For the rest of you, eat or leave. It's up to you. And don't misinterpreted our lenience. Our patience will wear thin eventually, don't test it. Simply fall back in your place and follow our orders, and no harm will come to you."

And with that he sat back down and shared a knowing look. Not even war and a Dark Lord could take away the power of the Noble and Ancient Houses. With a bit of luck, they could control the situation until Potter would unquestionably show up.