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Malfoy's Moments

Malfoy entered the transfiguration classroom silently, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. All faces turned to gawp at him as he approached the Slytherin tables. He had spent two days in the infirmary, and was desperate to get some air, despite the fact that he was still in considerable pain.

"Curse you Snape!" he hissed under his breath. He had been informed of the cover story, not through Snape, but through his fellows asking him all kinds of questions when he was released from the infirmary. "Why did you do it? What were you thinking? Are you THAT depressed?"

It didn't take him long to realise people had been misinformed by Snape, and that meant he had to go along with it.

He slammed his books down on the table, and smirked as the majority of the Gryffindors jumped three feet in the air. All save Harry and his friends.

Malfoy glared at them all as he made to sit down. He had momentarily forgotten about his wounds, and lurched painfully with a gasp. Crabbe grabbed his shoulder to steady him, but Malfoy hissed at him and shrugged him off, sitting down with a grimace. The gryffindors muttered incoherently, and he ignored them.

Professor McGonagall had entered the room from a door behind her desk, and eyed them all suspiciously. Her gaze rested on Draco, and he had no doubt in his mind that all the teachers believed the lie too.

"Today" She began, "We will be turning inanimate objects into 'living' animals."

The class, particularly the gryffindors all smiled. All save Malfoy, who couldn't tear his eyes from Potter.

"We have already seen how easy it is to make the living, inanimate…many of you may remember your second year…where we did what exactly? …yes Miss Granger?"

"We turned an animal into a water Goblet Professor." Hermione grinned. Well…she had done it…Ron managed to create what they affectionately called a 'Gobrat.'

"Correct. As you know, that is fairly simple magic, but to create life, is far more complex, which is why we save it for sixth year. With inexperience it can go horribly horribly wrong, and stems a lot of debates about whether we have the right to 'exterminate' these 'accidents'. Can any of you name one such example?"

Hermione's hand shot up yet again. Draco snorted, and many of the Slytherins copied him. At sixteen, he had thought her eagerness to prove herself would have died considerably, knowing that she was the best in the school by far. He had given up trying to please his father with his grades, there was no way he could outmatch Grangers.

"That will do Mr. Malfoy, unless you can tell me of course." McGonagall was rather protective of Hermione. After all, she was the most gifted Witch she had ever encountered.

Malfoy looked up at the old witch in boredom.

"1789 Felix Mulullhock, 18 yr old tri-wizard Champion, attempted to transfigure a boulder into a dragon during his second task. Unfortunately the end result was not what he wanted. He was faced with a rampaging monster, made of rock, and perfectly mobile. It was virtually unstoppable, resulting in several injuries, the deaths of the other two champions, three aurors and fourteen spectators. The creature was eventually destroyed, but debate raged on as to whether a new species should have been exterminated or left alive."

Hermione's hand drooped slowly with every word. Her example hadn't been nearly as good. She had never read of such a horrific tale.

"Impressive Mr. Malfoy…not a well known piece of information either…caused a terrible stir in its day, and not many speak of it. In fact, I know only five people who have ever spoken of it." She raised her eyebrow. She remembered that Malfoy was never one to raise his hand to answer questions in class, but clearly he was very well educated at home. His homework essays had been of high standard, until recently. They had slipped dramatically, and other teachers had noticed the same in their subjects.

"I would be the fifth I take it!" Malfoy smiled. His newfound keen interest in rare books seemed to be paying off. He remebered reading the article in one of Voldemort's own essays, he had referenced it to a book on the Dark Arts, which was no longer sold legally. Draco...however, had inherited the same book from his Father, and had read a great deal of that too.

"Indeed." She nodded, and wrenched her eyes from him to continue the lesson. Hermione glanced at him admirably, and Malfoy saw it. He stared at her for a few seconds, until she looked away again. Pansy coughed to get his attention, showing a face that was practically burning from jealousy. He twitched his lips into a smug sneer, and carried on listening to McGonagall.

She discussed and dictated the techniques and the dangers, and then after what seemed like hours of writing and listening, they moved onto practical. "Now…I have placed an item in front of each of you. Bearing in mind what you've learned, I want you to imagine an animal of your choice! Nothing too big or fancy, something simple. If successful I want you to raise your hand, and I shall come to remove it."

"Can't we keep them when they're done?" Parvati piped up.

"We'll see." McGonogall's face twisted in distaste. "You must understand that the animal is not natural, and will probably be dead within a few days!"

Lavender squeaked a little in alarm. Ron smirked. Girl's were so soft.

One by one they all removed their wands. Malfoy stared at the dirty green crystal that McGonogall had placed infront of him. He tried to think of an animal, but his mind was racing with thoughts of murder, Potter, Dumbledore…Voldemort…

"Mr Malfoy?" McGonogall said gently as she passed him. Draco came to his senses and looked up. Everyone was bustling and making spells and incantations, with amusing effects. Miss Granger had immediately turned a fluffy pink pillow into a fluffy pink otter, which scrambled up her robes and hid under her bushy hair. She was laughing as Ron and Harry petted it.

"Sorry Professor." He removed his wand from his pocket and coughed. She looked at him kindly.

"If you are not feeling up to joining in I will understand." She patted his shoulder and walked over to praise Hermione's success.

A defiant glare sprouted from within him. He was not going to look weak in front of Potter…never again.

He slammed his wand down onto the crystal, and unlike his fellows he had done it in complete silence, screaming the incantation in his head.

The stone cracked and split, then appeared to grow in size…considerably. It stretched and grew, larger and larger.

"Damn!" Malfoy shouted as he realised what he had done. He had originally visualised a small snake, but must have unconsciously shifted to the large Python Voldemort kept with him. Nagini was about ten feet long, if not more.

"Professor! Erm…help!" Malfoy's voice caught pupil's attentions and Lavender screamed as she saw a huge Python encircle Draco's arm and slither up and over his shoulders. It was heavy and cold, but Malfoy thought it best not to move. The snake had been conjured from a rock, so he had no idea whether it would be tame or not…he doubted it was, and any quick and sudden movements of his wand arm could have irritated it considerably.

"Oh good gracious!" McGonogall gasped. Students backed away and she saw the Malfoy gulp as the snake began to encircle his already badly bruised chest. He winced in pain as the heavy snake squeezed ever so gently to grip onto him.

"Get it off!" he motioned to Goyle next to him, but the big lug was at a loss. He too, backed away. "It HURTS!" he snarled. Crabbe looked even more terrified, and stepped back even more.

"I said 'simple' Mr. Malfoy!" McGonogall bravely stepped up to him. This aggravated the Snake a little, and it squeezed tighter.

"Ow…ow…ow!" Draco repeated slowly, angry and unimpressed. Hoping McGonogall would hurry up and do something about it.

"Vipera Evanesca!" Harry shouted pointing his wand at the serpent. He remembered the same vanishing spell Snape used, the last time Draco conjured a snake, which (naturally) had been aimed for Harry.

The Snape erupted into a mass of sparks, and Draco gasped as he was quickly released from its grip. He looked livid.

"Thank you Harry." McGonagall was not at all surprised that Potter came to the rescue. He was an honourable young man. She ushered the class to sit back down and resume their spell casting.

Malfoy waited for her back to be turned, and glared at Harry. "Don't think for a second that this changes anything!" Draco hissed and pointed at him. Snapping his arm back down, he charged angrily for the door.

Once again Harry was reminded of a similar incident. He had tricked Mr. Malfoy into freeing Dobby, and he had stormed out in a rage after threatening Harry. The similarity between father and son was uncanny.

"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonogall called after him. "Mr…Mr. Malfoy?" She sounded angrier now, but deeply concerned. "Draco!"

Malfoy didn't turn around, didn't stop, he barged through the doors uncaringly, and left them flapping open behind him.

'How dare he!' He fumed. 'He insults me!'

Draco needed to talk to someone. He headed for the girl's bathroom, hopefully Myrtle would be there, and she was a good listener. He needed one right now.

He burst in to find her singing to herself. She took one look at him and looked disgusted.

"GET OUT! GET OUT!" she yelled.

"Myrtle it's me!" Draco stood in the doorway, hurt and shocked at her reaction. He thought she liked him.

"Boy's aren't allowed in here!" She sneered. "Go away!"

"You 'asked' me to come here…or rather, you blackmailed me into it!" Draco sneered back. His mean streak was returning with his fury.

"I never did that! I've never spoken to you before in my life!" Myrtle held her head high, not wanting to speak to him.

"That's because you're DEAD!" Malfoy raged.

With that, she started to wail, and flung herself into the sink. Disappearing into the pipes to cry.

Dracp groaned and slammed the door shut angrily. He resisted the urge to kick the suit of armour over, and made his way down the grand staircase toward the ground floor, pushing whoever came across his path.

Most recognised him instantly, and parted before he could shove them out of his way. They thought him crazed, for he certainly looked it, and the rumour of his self inflicted scars didn't help. He passed some girls in a hallway, heard them giggle, heard the words "crazy…psycho…just like his dad!" escape their lips and he froze.

They fell silent as he turned.

Marching back he towered over them, fumbling angrily at his shirt and tie. They tried to look brave and innocent, like they hadn't said anything, but their faces were pink from containing their sniggers.

"You think this is funny?" He snarled, and threw his tie at their feet. Then unbuttoned his shirt. "Does…it…look…FUNNY?" he ripped the last buttons in a rage, revealing the ugly, painful scar that descended down the middle.

The girl's no longer giggled, they stood in horror. Malfoy had completely lost his mind. He stood there, shirt open, breathing heavily and snarling. His snarl grew into a smile as he fed on their fear. "You should have seen the blood…" He sneered, "…it was almost black…gallons of it, everywhere!"

The girl's screwed up their faces in disgust, and satisfied that he had grossed them out enough, he turned to leave. More people had come around the corner chatting amongst themselves, and Malfoy didn't bother to fasten up his shirt. "Let them see!" he snorted to himself. His scar was far more impressive than the little thing on Potter's forehead…and he found himself enjoying the looks he was getting.

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Dinner that evening was very interesting indeed. Malfoy's little outburst in transfiguration had naturally spread like a virus throughout the entire school, as had talk of his 'scar'. Harry could not help but feel a twinge of annoyance and jealousy at these strange events. Ever since first year, it had become customary for him to be the centre of most conversations. Even more so now, considering Voldemort was back, and thirsty for revenge.

"Apparently he stormed out of class and screamed at some second years on the way back to the dungeons!"

"I heard he ripped off his shirt and walked all the way back topless! So people could see the scar!"

"Mine's better! I heard he threatened to do 'avada' a first year, because she smiled at him!"

The rumours were vast and many highly exaggerated, but Malfoy didn't care. He could see Harry's torment at not being the centre of attention for once. He glared at him from across the slytherin table, his face etched with a sneering smile, that the Dark Lord himself would find difficult to remove.

"Ignore him Harry!" Hermione spotted the two having a staring competition and shuffled further down the bench, shielding Malfoy from view.

"Hiding behind you're mudblood Potter?" Malfoy drawled. Hermione twitched ever so slightly, but hid it well. Harry realised that even though she had heard it many times, it still struck a cord. He stood up angrily, looking over Hermione's head at Malfoy, who had also stood up.

"I don't see you without your bodyguards much!" Harry said coldly motioning to Crabbe and Goyle. "When I do…you don't seem that tough!" Harry regretted saying that. He was thinking of what he saw when he found Draco in the bathroom. A sobbing, grieving wreck, looking to a ghost for comforting words.

Malfoy's lip trembled. His face burned with fury, but Harry knew he had hit too deep. Draco grabbed a plate and hurled it angrily at the Gryffindor table. It smashed into rows of Goblets and food, smothering Harry and his friends in mashed potato, butter beer and bits of chicken.

"MALFOY!" Dumbledore's voice silenced the hall. All students gasped and sat nervously. Thrilled that they had witnessed yet another Malfoy outburst, in front of the whole school. The Professors looked as shocked and surprised as the food covered Gryffindors…even Snape was speechless.

Malfoy clenched his eyes shut. "Now you've done it!" he scolded himself. He hoped that when he opened them he'd be in bed…having suffered a bad dream…but alas…instead he saw the headmaster charging toward him, grab him by the scruff of the collar, and lead out.

"Everyone…back to your meal!" Dumbledore called and shut the main doors behind him.

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"Headmaster…I…I…" Draco struggled to speak. He wasn't looking at his headmaster…he was looking once more at his mission. His task. His intended victim. The sickness was creeping back.

"It's not I who deserves an apology Draco." Dumbledore released the boy's collar, and straightened it out, then placed his hands on Mafloy's shoulders.

"Please...don't make me go back in there!" Malfoy pleaded. "I can't look at him anymore Professor...seeing him just...just...brings out the darkness in me!" He swallowed and looked away. He found himself confiding in Dumbledore, even more so than Snape, who he thought would be the first person he would confess to.

"You must learn control that temper of yours!" Dumbledore stared into Draco's eyes. "Professor McGonogall's class was one thing, but this…as a prefect, and a sixth year, you are meant to set an example…" His eyebrows hovered over the half-moon spectacles. "I'd have thought, after a year…you and Potter may put your differences aside, will I have to separate you constantly?" He was scolding Draco in the nicest possible way, and that only served to make Malfoy feel even worse.

Malfoy nodded a 'no'. He wished he could run away. Go to Myrtle…tell her everything…but she had no idea who he was now. No doubt Snape had put a memory charm on her to stop her from talking.

"Good. Now off you go the dorms and cool down. I'll have your friends bring you some dinner shortly." Dumbledore patted his back encouragingly and pushed him toward the stairs.

"Sorry sir." Malfoy muttered, the sickness in his stomach dying down as he stepped further and further away from his prey.

"And Draco?" Dumbledore saw the boy turn, his blue eyes glistening slightly from forming tears. "Detention is on Friday…my office."

Malfoy nodded slowly and returned to the dungeons.

One week.

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