The Bodyguard

Chapter 8: Frozen Serpent

The red tongue of flame burned brightly for only a moment. As it faded, Harry saw an unnatural expression of awe appear on Draco's pale, battered face. He stared at Harry, as if seeing him for the first time, and clasped Harry's right hand in both of his, as if suddenly desperate for his touch.

A slow, creeping feeling of horror went down Harry's spine. Something was terribly wrong. "Draco, are you all right?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Draco blushed and seemed unable to speak. He nodded, wide-eyed.

Umbridge leered at Draco's reaction.

Harry saw her face, and was suddenly furious. He stood up, helped Draco to his feet and let go of his sticky hands. Then he wheeled around to face Umbridge, who only came up to his chest. She took a step backwards.

"What have you done to him?" he demanded, glaring down at her. He was aware of the whole Wizengamot muttering and staring, and his one desire, apart from hexing Umbridge to within an inch of her life, was to get out of the courtroom and examine Draco away from the watching, judging, cruel eyes.

Umbridge smirked up at Draco as if admiring her handiwork. "I think the question is - what HAVEN'T I done to him?"

Plastering an insincere smile on his face for the benefit of the watching Wizengamot, Harry thrust the Vow scroll deep into his pocket and said, in a voice that belied his expression, "I'll find out what you've done, Umbridge, believe me, and when I do, I swear you'll pay!" Umbridge's face twitched in what might have been alarm, and then Harry turned on his heel, and strode towards the exit, dragging a dazed and tottering Draco behind him.

He could hear the muttering rising to a crescendo behind him as he opened the door and Scrimgeour called out: "Wait! We want to see the Vow in action!"

Harry turned his head with a most un-Dumbledore-like expression on his face. "With respect, Minister - no chance! I will not put Draco Malfoy through his paces for your entertainment. He's sick and injured and we are leaving."

There were gasps from the Wizengamot, and Scrimgeour looked thoroughly scandalized.

Harry saw Barnes was walking down from the podium, clutching a clipboard and a pale wand that looked vaguely familiar. "Good day, Minister ... Wizengamot," said Harry stiffly. He looked around the dungeon courtroom, then pulled Draco through the door and shut it with a satisfying bang.

oOoOoOo

"Harry," panted Draco, the moment the door had closed. "Thank you!" He opened his arms and Harry found his face pressed against the taller teenager's bloodstained neck.

"I don't know what you're thanking me for," said Harry dully, extricating himself from Draco's arms. "I was RUBBISH. The Wizengamot refused to let me vouch for you and you very nearly ended up in Azkaban. Now you've got that Vow-"

Harry broke off. Draco was staring at down at his own lifted arms, as if he could not believe they had just been around Harry Potter. Then Draco looked back at Harry with a look of adoration on his face that would not have looked out of place on a house elf. Harry groaned and put his face in his hands. "What have they done to you?" he muttered, more to himself than to Draco.

Footsteps approached and Harry looked around. Lupin and Moody were hurrying down the torch-lit corridor. Moody's false leg clunked on the stone and he was frowning at Draco.

"I see you did it, Harry!" Lupin shouted. His face was tired and lined but his voice was cheerful.

No thanks to either of you! Harry thought, with a stab of annoyance. "Why didn't I see you two in the audience?" he asked. "I would have liked to have seen a friendly face. Or have had some help with the trial," he added grimly.

"The Wizengamot are hardly about to let ME view or influence a trial. I'm a werewolf," said Lupin, in a tone that suggested this should be obvious. "As for Moody-"

"I can't believe you bothered to rescue a Death Eater from Azkaban. Filth like him belong there," said Moody gruffly.

"He's just a kid, Moody," said Harry in annoyance. How he missed Sirius and Dumbledore and their unconditional love and support! Feeling alone, he looked at Draco and was alarmed to see him staring dreamily back, as if he hadn't heard Moody. "Snap out of it, Draco!" Harry exclaimed.

The Slytherin gave a start and his eyes became a little more normal. "Is that an order?" he asked.

Moody cackled.

"What's wrong with him, Harry?" asked Lupin.

Harry pushed his hands back through his hair in a gesture of frustration. "The Ministry made him take some sort of complex, new Unbreakable Vow before they'd let him be my bodyguard. It's messing with his head."

"My head is fine," insisted Draco, and then gave a well-executed stagger. Harry caught him and Draco leaned back into his arms.

"A new Unbreakable Vow?" said Lupin, puzzled.

Harry was disappointed. He'd hoped Lupin would be able to help. "It was Umbridge's idea," he said, and was rewarded by an understanding frown from Lupin.

"Ah, yes. The same ... lady ... who came up with the anti-werewolf legislation," said Lupin grimly. He looked at Draco and for the first time, there was a trace of sympathy in his eyes. "I don't know anything about a new Unbreakable Vow, but I find chocolate always helps after a bad experience," he said, reaching into his torn robes with a kind smile and bringing out a package of Honeyduke's finest, which he held out to Draco.

But the response from Draco was not gratitude. Instead, his face twisted with horror. "You're a werewolf! Stay away from me!" he cried, raising an arm in self-defence. Lupin did not lower the chocolate but his smile became rather fixed.

Abruptly, Harry's confusion turned to anger and he pushed Draco out of his arms. "Take the chocolate," he snapped. "It's not full moon and Professor Lupin is perfectly normal. He's trying to help you. You should thank him."

Very slowly, Draco took the proffered chocolate. "Thank you," he said sullenly. But the moment the chocolate was in his hands, he ripped the wrapping off and started taking massive bites, as if starving. Some of Harry's anger turned back into concern.

"A Vow, did you say Harry?" growled Moody.

Tearing his eyes away from Draco, Harry pulled the scroll out of his pocket and handed it to Moody. "Yes, this Vow. Longest, most boring thing I've ever read. I didn't understand half of it."

Moody examined the scroll, his magical blue eye flicking up and down over it. "The magic will understand, even if you didn't," he said. He rolled the scroll and handed it back to Harry, who thrust it back into his pocket. "Hmmm, I heard a rumour about this-" He broke off, as the dungeon door opened and Barnes lumbered through, still holding the clipboard and the pale wand.

"What have you heard, Moody?" Barnes asked, grinning in a way that made his scars stand out.

Moody grinned back, "Plenty you haven't, you earless bugger!" he said, and to Harry consternation, he and Barnes laughed, shook hands and started chatting like old friends.

"Just been hearing about this Vow," said Moody.

Barnes tapped the side of his nose with a stubby finger. "Brand new. It was very hush, hush for a while there."

Harry recalled that Moody was a retired Auror and probably knew every single Auror in the Ministry. But it wasn't pleasant to see Moody being so friendly to someone so closely linked with the Vow and Umbridge, even though he suspected Moody was trying to find out information for him. That was why he didn't resist when Draco pulled him away from the group. The chocolate seemed to have revived some of his vitality, and his adoring look had gone, replaced by an expression Harry found quite disagreeable.

Draco leaned in close and rested his hands on Harry's shoulders. "I want you to complain to the Ministry about my treatment, Harry! I spent last night in a filthy cell, without food or anywhere to sleep, and when the Aurors came for me, they beat me. You saw it!" He pointed to his forehead, now caked with dried blood. "I want compensation and an apology," he insisted petulantly.

Harry gaped at him. "You actually think I could make the Ministry apologize?" he said.

"Of course, you can! You're the Chosen One!" said Draco, the adoring and disagreeable looks duelling on his face. He gave a laugh that sounded slightly too eager. "As the Chosen One, you could even get Father out of Azkaban."

Harry remembered Draco's father: his cold, cruel face, and the way he had slipped Riddle's diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron. "Certainly not, Draco," he replied.

Draco looked cross and spoiled. "Why not?" he demanded.

"Watch yourself, Harry," said Moody. "I've got a lot of experience with Death Eaters and I've learned you can't trust 'em for one second! Listen to that brat - he's just biding his time before he turns on you!"

Barnes and Lupin were watching intently.

Draco drew himself up and glared at Moody. "What would you know about my loyalties, you mad, old cripple?" he snarled.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, LADDIE?" Moody's wand was out and, despite his wooden leg, he was on Draco in a flash.

Gasping in terror, Draco ducked behind Harry, but Moody followed him. There was a malevolent look in Moody's one normal eye that made even Harry want to duck. "Stop!" Harry cried, but only half-heartedly. He was furious at Draco's cheek.

Keeping both eyes on the Slytherin, Moody snarled out of the corner of his mouth. "Have you heard the story of the frozen serpent, Harry?" Draco dodged, but Moody headed him off. "A man took pity on a frozen serpent he found at the side of the road, and took it home to warm it by his fire. The moment the serpent recovered, it bit and killed the man. NEVER TRUST A DEATH EATER!" Moody had backed Draco into the wall. The tip of Moody's wand was at his throat.

"Harry, please!" Draco begged. His eyes were squeezed shut in panic.

"Moody, release him," said Harry quietly.

"Are you sure, Harry?" asked Moody, his eyes still on Draco.

"Release him!"

Slowly, Moody lifted the tip of his wand away from Draco's throat. "Whatever you say, Harry. We all want to see how you handle this."

As the wand left his throat, Draco opened his eyes and began to whine. "Harry, he's talking rubbish-"

"SHUT UP!" Harry roared. He was shaking from pent up rage. He had forgotten his previous feeling of connection to Draco. Instead, his many memories of the Slytherin's meanness, pettiness and cruelty were going through his head, to the point he wanted to reach out and throttle him.

Draco's mouth dropped open and he fell silent.

"You will NOT insult my Order friends again." Harry marvelled that his voice was not a scream.

"But what if they do something to me first-"

"I DON'T CARE!" This time Harry did scream. "Suck it up! Take it! You will be polite to them and you will do what they say."

Draco glared at Harry in a temper and opened his mouth to shout back...

...and the thin, red tongue of flame that had appeared during the Vow reappeared wrapped tightly around his throat.

oOoOoOo

Author's Notes: Now we see the Vow in action. Comment or Draco gets it! Bwhahaha! ;-)

Replies to comments:

Miko23 - Thank you! I'd love to have you as my beta. How do you want me to send the chapters? PhoenixxStarr: Yeah, Umbridge is foul! I'd love to see her get her comeuppance. Kit turned Mighty: Luckily Harry has the scroll. I wonder if they'll be able to figure it out without help? ;-) unforgivable curse caster: Thank you! SuperSquash: (smile!) Redmeadow: Harry knew very well that Umbridge was up to something, but he wasn't given a chance to avoid it. Scrimgeour (no friend of Harry's) gave him the choice between Azkaban and the Vow, rather than letting him vouch for Draco. As for being weak and stupid - poor Harry - I didn't want to write Harry as some avenging super-lawyer who would destroy Umbridge's reputation and convince everyone of Draco's innocence because I thought that would be incredibly different to the canon. Harry didn't even get to finish his sentences when he was on trial in Order of the Phoenix. Not even Dumbledore could completely convince the Wizengamot of Harry's innocence last time, and what chance does a teenager have if even a hundred and fifty year old wizard can't manage it? As far as adult advisors are concerned, Harry is more thoroughly alone at the end of Book 6 than he ever has been before. His most loved and trusted adult mentors - Sirius and Dumbledore - are dead. His adult less close friends either cannot or will not help him as much as he wants. I think Rowling has been steadily stripping away Harry's adult support network over the past couple of books to make his eventually defeat of Voldemort more impressive. :-) The Earth Mystic: Thanks! I'd like to see Draco fight Voldie. I should get Draco cleaned up soon - I think he's suffered enough! ;-) Ann: Thanks! We'll see more of the Vow in action soon. juniper: Thanks! Harry tries to emulate Dumbledore, but his real personality keeps popping out! ;-) gbheart: Thanks! I HATE Umbridge too! Come to think of it - I could kill her off really painfully and messily. Ah, the joys of fanfiction. ;-) Kyla Mizuki: Harry really needed Hermione to understand the Vow for him, but Hermione - and Ron - are very busy. We'll find out what they're doing soon. Yellowwolf: Thank you, I hope this update is OK. I thought Harry might be a bit too angry. He'll have to make things up to Draco! ;-) DestinyEntwinements: Thank you for your review. :-) NinjaoftheDarkness: Toad Lady's Vow equals lots of angst for Draco. Potter's Wifey: Draco REALLY has to do what Harry says now. Even think what Harry wants him to think. Definitely not nice! I wonder what Hermione will say...