Draco A Death Eater?
Cedric and I were still going to the party together, but we were allowed to bring guests, so we invited Neville and Luna to join us at Professor Slughorn's party, much to their delight. Ron could not attend as he had no invitation and he and Hermione were still arguing. He looked simply furious before we left and when I asked why, he just said it all had to do with McLaggen, but refused to go any further than that.
Cedric and I were wearing our second-best dress robes and I had Cedric's arm as we knocked on the door and went inside the heavily decorated and magically enlarged office where dozens of guests were chatting, enjoying refreshments and dancing and there was Christmas music was playing.
"Helena, Cedric, how wonderful to see you," said Professor Slughorn, when he opened the door. "Do come in. Who're your guests?"
"May we introduce our friends, Miss Luna Lovegood and Mr. Neville Longbottom?" said Cedric.
"Delighted," said Professor Slughorn, as he shook their hands. "I've been hearing so much about you two from Flitwick and Sprout. It's wonderful to have you here."
"It's lovely to be here," said Luna. "Ooh, is that a sketch of a Blibbering Humdinger?"
"Indeed it is," said Professor Slughorn. "I've always been rather curious about that animal. Perhaps you'd care to talk about it? I get The Quibbler all the time; it's one of my favorite magazines. Neville, I've got some rather curious plants from one my old students. Perhaps you'd like to take a look at them and tell me what you think of them."
"Yeah, sure," said Neville, as Luna nodded.
"Helena, Cedric, you simply must Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of Blood Brothers: My Life Among the Vampires," said Professor Slughorn.
Worple was a stout, small, bespectacled man and instantly grabbed mine and Cedric's free hands. "Helena Potter, Cedric, Diggoy, I'm simply delighted! I've been so anxious to meet the famous Chosen One and of course, her paramour Cedric Diggory."
Good grief. Was mine and Cedric's relationship common knowledge these days? Aloud I said, "Nice to meet you too, sir."
"You know, I was just saying to Horace, 'Where're the autobiographies of Helena Potter and Cedric Diggory for which we've all been wanting?'"
"Have you?" I asked.
"We had no idea," said Cedric.
"Just as modest as Horace described!" His expression and tone turned more serious. "But seriously, I would be delighted to write the books myself—people are craving to know more about you two—simply craving! Not only about how all your adventures, but also how the two of you ended up together! If you were prepared to grant me a few interviews, in say, four or five hour sessions, we could have the books written and millions of copies sold within a year!"
"Sorry, but we're not interested," said Cedric, firmly. "Some things must remain private and we have other plans."
"Ah, yes, what was it you said you two were planning to do one day?" asked Professor Slughorn.
"We're hoping to become Aurors," I said. "Cedric's job here's just temporary until I'm done with school."
"I see. Well, here's to the two best Aurors that the world will ever know," said Professor Slughorn, raising his glass.
We raised our glasses and drank our butterbeer before going on with the party. It was somewhat fun as Cedric and I got to dance together. Neville and Luna were also enjoying themselves talking to Professor Slughorn and Professor Trelawny.
"Seems like some people are enjoying themselves," I commented, as we danced.
"Are you one of them?" he asked.
"As long as you're here, I'm having all the fun in the world," I said, as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
He smiled. "I'm glad."
When the song ended, Cedric and I felt hot and went to go out onto the balcony and found someone hiding behind the curtain.
"Hermione, what're you doing hiding over here?" I asked.
"I've just escaped from Cormac under the mistletoe," said Hermione.
"Cormac McLaggen?" said Cedric, looking revolted. "That's who you invited? Why?"
"I thought he'd annoy Ron the most," said Hermione.
"Well, your plan worked. Ron was practically purple with anger and looked like he was about to break something when we left," I whispered. I handed her some red candies. "But if you're trying to avoid McLaggen, eat these. They're delicious, but they make your breath reek to high heaven."
"And if he becomes too much of a pain, come get me and then I'll deal with him for you," said Cedric.
"Thank you," said Hermione, gratefully. She ate the candies and then left as Cedric and I walked out onto the balcony. Our breath showed and it was snowing softly, but the view was lovely.
"Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?" asked Cedric.
"You just did," I said.
He wrapped his cloak around me and held me close before he waved his wand. Suddenly, some of the snowflakes enlarged and seemed to take the form of a fairy that danced, making me smile before it disappeared. We were silent, drinking in the moment together before we kissed again.
"I love you," I murmured.
"I love you too," he murmured.
After a few more moments, we went back inside. Cedric got stuck talking to an old friend and I went to get some punch. I hadn't gone far when I felt a cold hand on my shoulder and nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Nervous, Miss Potter?" said Professor Snape.
"Oh, no, Professor. You just startled me, that's all. How're you?"
"I'm fine, thank you, Miss Potter. I've just come to deliver a message to you from Professor Dumbledore. He'll be away for a while and your meeting will be postponed until term resumes after the holidays, that's all," said Professor Snape.
"Thank you, sir," I said. "Professor, did you get my owl? You never responded."
"Yes, Miss Potter, I did," said Professor Snape. "I regret to say that my work has kept me very occupied and I was unable to reply. However, I shall remedy that at once. Your apology is accepted, I apologize for what I said about your father that night, and I hope you have a good holiday, Miss Potter."
I was surprised he was saying this, but didn't say that. I just nodded and said, "You too, sir. Merry Christmas to you too."
Just then, Filch came in dragging Malfoy by the ear. "Professor, I caught this one wandering around after hours. He claims to have been invited to your party but was delayed in arrival. Did you issue him an invitation?"
Malfoy yanked away from Filch. "Alright, I wasn't invited! I was trying to gatecrash, happy?"
"No, I am not! You were wandering around after hours without permission, this'll mean detention!" said Filch.
"Mr. Filch, Draco Malfoy is one of my House, therefore I shall be the one to deal with him," said Professor Snape.
"Come now, Severus, it's Christmas!" said Professor Slughorn.
"My word is final," said Professor Snape, as he dragged Malfoy out.
When I saw the look of dread in Malfoy's eyes and a hint of anger, I felt suspicious and followed the two out of the office. Malfoy had been Professor Snape's favorite Slytherin for six years and Malfoy had adored Professor Snape, so what was with the new feelings? I followed them to a locked classroom and listened in through the keyhole.
"…cannot afford to make mistakes, Draco," said Professor Snape. "If you are expelled—"
"I didn't have anything to do with it!"
"You'd better be telling me the truth because it was extremely foolish and clumsy. You're already suspected of having a hand in it!"
"Who suspects me?" said Malfoy, angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must have an enemy nobody knows about! Don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, but it won't work! I can stop you!"
"Ah, I see someone's been learning Occulumency. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"
"I'm not hiding anything from him; I just don't want you butting in!"
"So, that's why you've been avoiding me this term? You feared my interference? You realize, had anyone else failed to come to my office when I'd told them repeatedly to be there—"
"So, put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!" Malfoy jeered.
"You know perfectly well I do not wish to do either of those things."
"You'd better stop telling me to come to your office, then!"
"Listen to me," said Professor Snape, his voice dangerously calm as though he was trying not to lose control of his temper. "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco!"
"Well, you'll just have to break it, then! I don't need or want your protection! It's my job and he gave it to me. I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would! Besides, I know perfectly well you could care less what happens to me! The only one you're concerned about is that Potter girl! Don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at her, like she was your own flesh-and-blood!"
"Do not speak of matters of which you do not understand, Draco!" Professor Snape growled. "What is your plan?"
"It's none of your business!"
"If you tell me what you're doing, I can help you!"
"I've got all the help I need, thanks! I'm not alone!"
"You were certainly alone tonight, which was extremely foolish and stupid! Wandering around the corridors after hours without lookouts or backups, these are elementary mistakes—"
"I'd have Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!"
"Keep your voice down! If your so-called 'friends,' Crabbe and Goyle wish to pass their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., they'll have to do a lot better than they are at present time!"
"What does it matter?" said Malfoy. "Defense Against the Dark Arts—it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protection against the Dark Arts!"
"You fool!" Professor Snape hissed. "It is an act that is crucial to success! Where do you think I would be if I had not known how to act all these years? Listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing reliance in people like Crabbe and Goyle—"
"They're not the only ones! I've got other people on my side, better people!"
"Then why not confide in me and I can—"
"I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!"
There was a pause and then Professor Snape said coldly, "You are speaking and acting like a child. I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but letting your emotions control your actions is a one-way ticket to your downfall!"
"Just shut up! I'm through with this."
He headed for the door, so I ran for it and headed back to the party before I could be caught. When I got back to the party, it was nearly over and Cedric had to patrol the corridors before bed, so he walked me back to the Portrait Hole and kissed me good-night.
The next day was the start of the holidays. Hermione was going to visit her parents and the rest of us were going to the Burrow. I didn't have time to tell anyone what I'd overheard until Ron, Cedric and I were in a compartment on the train.
"Snape made the Unbreakble Vow to protect Malfoy?" said Cedric. "He must be out of his mind. What could've possessed him to agree with that?"
"I'm with you there, mate," said Ron. "He's got to be barking mad."
"What's so serious about it? What's an Unbreakable Vow anyway?" I asked.
"An Unbreakable Vow is a vow that one takes only under extreme circumstances," said Cedric. "When you make the Vow, you have to keep your word no matter what because it's binding, like a Faustian Deal. If you do somehow go against your word after making the Vow, you die."
"Which also means Narcissa Malfoy must've done some serious kissing up to get Snape to make the Vow to protect Malfoy," said Ron. "But this also means Snape's up to something as well, doesn't it?"
"While it proves Malfoy's up to something, it doesn't necessarily mean Professor Snape is on Malfoy's side," I said. "He's been Dumbledore's spy for years now. Why should he suddenly turn against him? Besides, Professor Snape was probably just pretending so he could get Malfoy to spill the beans."
"You're not saying you actually trust Snape, are you?" said Ron, incredulously.
"While we're not exactly friends, I do trust him," I said. Yet some nagging feeling in stomach told me something was seriously wrong, but I ignored it.
"I trust him too," said Cedric.
Ron shook his head at us. "If you ask me, it proves Malfoy's a Death Eater."
"I agree."
We then arrived at King's Cross and were taken to the Burrow. The entire Weasley clan, minus Percy was there, along with Fleur, Sirius and Lupin. The Burrow was heavily decorated and everyone was in a good mood and Mrs. Weasley seemed to have accepted Bill's choice of a fiancé as she and Fleur were seen hugging as they worked together.
The happiest one was Sirius, who was enjoying his first Christmas as a free man and kept singing, "God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs" every five minutes and helped out in the decorating and cooking.
Christmas Morning came with three feet of snow and a feeling of joy. I wished Hermione was there, but she'd made it clear she'd been looking forward to some time with her family and Muggle friends, so I hoped she was having a good time.
I went downstairs and found Ron by the door with an opened parcel and looked utterly revolted at something in his hand. Cedric was roaring with laughter.
"What's the matter with you?" I asked.
"It's this present from Lavender. She can't honestly think I'd want to wear it, can she?" Ron held up a necklace with cursive gold words dangling on the chain that read, "My Sweetheart."
"Quite lovely, don't you think? You should let Fred and George see it," I said, laughing.
"Over my dead body!" said Ron, as he shoved it into his pocket. "And don't you dare tell them about it, either."
"Ron, answer me this, do you two even talk or is it mostly just kissing?" asked Cedric. "Do you even enjoy her company?"
"Oh, um, well…" His voice wandered off as he shook his head. "She's a nightmare."
"I thought so. Ron, if you want to end things with Lavender, then why don't you grit your teeth and do it?" I asked.
"It's not that easy. She's so possessive and dramatic. I think if I said I wanted to end things, she'd have a heart attack and die."
I sighed in exasperation. "Well, it's your own fault you're in this mess, that's all I can say." We then sat down in the kitchen and everyone exchanged gifts. I got a new sweater from Mrs. Weasley that was scarlet with a Gryffindor lion on it, homemade fudge from Lupin, a new book from Sirius, and much more. Cedric and I, wanting a little privacy, exchanged our gifts to each other in the empty living room.
"Merry Christmas, Handsome," I said as I handed him a present.
"Merry Christmas, Beautiful," he said, as he handed me a gift.
I opened the gift to find a bottle of rose-scented perfume in a green crystal bottle. "Cedric, this is lovely. Thanks."
"Glad you like it. Oh, Helena, this is great." Cedric's gift was a red photo album with gold lettering that read, Cherished Memories, containing pictures of the four of us together and some were just of him and me. He smiled when he came to a picture of us together during the Yule Ball. "How'd you get all these pictures?"
"Let's just say Colin's a really photographer," I said, smiling as I held out a chocolate cream pastry. "Open up."
"Helena Potter, are you flirting with me?" he teased.
"Am I succeeding?" I asked.
He smiled. "Yes."
I chuckled as I fed him the pastry and then I kissed him. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close as we went on kissing.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too."
"Oi, get a room!" said Ron, as he sat across from us.
We broke apart, slightly embarrassed and glaring at Ron.
"Ron, shut up!" I said. "I can kiss my own boyfriend if I like!"
"Just ignore him. Let's go out," said Cedric. "Sirius, Fred, George, Ginny, you up for a snowball fight?"
They agreed and before long, the six of us were pummeling each other with snowballs. Cedric, Ginny, and I were on one team and Sirius, Fred, and George were on the other. Sirius's team won after they bewitched snowballs to fly at us.
Ron eventually came out and we made several snowmen and snow angels and then everyone else came out and we went ice-skating on the pond and had a simply marvelous time together.
"Want to go sledding, Helena?" asked Cedric.
"I've never done it before," I admitted.
"We'll have to remedy that, won't we?"
He conjured a sled and then we walked up the hill and prepared to go down. I held onto Cedric and let out a shriek as we zoomed down the hill and then hit a bump and collapsed into the snow. We burst out laughing as we helped each other up.
"Well, that was exciting," I said.
"Quite," said Cedric. He held me close. "It's wonderful to see you smile and hear your laugh. You should do that more often."
"Sure," I said. "I love you." Would I ever tire of saying and hearing those three little words? Never.
"I love you too," he said, as he kissed me.
After sledding a few more times, we went inside and got into some warm, dry clothes and enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner. Everyone sang Christmas carols and had fun. Later that evening, Christmas music was playing on the radio and everyone else was playing games and chatting while sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows. It was so wonderful I never wanted it to end.
Cedric and I were snuggled up together under a thick red woolen blanket. My head was on Cedric's chest and he was rubbing circles on my back, and we were slowly drifting off to sleep in the warm glow.
"Merry Christmas, love," said Cedric.
"Merry Christmas," I murmured.
The next day, we pulled Sirius, Lupin and Mr. Weasley aside and told them everything about our suspicions.
"While I can't see You-Know-Who recruiting someone as young as Malfoy, there's definitely something going on," said Sirius. "Whatever he's up to, it isn't good if he's asking someone like Borgan for help."
"But what is Malfoy up to?" asked Ron.
"And assuming he did get the necklace to Katie, how did he do it? She was in the girls' bathroom when she got it," said Cedric.
"Who knows?" said Mr. Weasley.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Snivellius wasn't pretending to offer help that blond-haired slimeball," said Sirius.
"There's no proof of that, Sirius," said Lupin. "Besides, Dumbledore trusts Snape."
"Well, I don't," said Sirius, huffily, rubbing the spot where Snape had jabbed him with his wand years ago.
"Before I forget, Helena, I got your owl," said Mr. Weasley.
"What owl?" asked Ron.
"Oh, I sent a message last week about something I remembered in the shop. Sorry, I forgot to mention it."
"What's in the shop?" asked Cedric.
"A Vanishing Cabinet," said Mr. Weasley. "Back in the day of You-Know-Who's reign of power, Vanishing Cabinets were all the rage. Whenever people got wind that they were in danger, they could just pop inside and reappear somewhere else for an hour or two until it was safe to return."
"And there's one in Borgan and Burkes," said Ron. "But Vanishing Cabinets have twins, so where's the twin?"
"Wait a minute," said Cedric. "There's a Vanishing Cabinet at Hogwarts. But it's been broken for years ever since Peeves smashed it."
"Maybe it's the twin of the one in the shop," said Mr. Weasley.
"Well, if it is, we can't prove it. It's been missing for months and besides, it's beyond repair," I said. I frowned as I remembered something. "Lupin, do you know of someone called Fenrir Greyback?"
"Indeed I do," said Lupin. "He's a werewolf who's obsessed with his condition and enjoys biting people, more specifically children. He's a leader of a pack that despises normal wizards." He paused for a moment. "It was Greyback who bit me."
"What?" I said.
"Yes. My father had offended him and he took revenge on me. I didn't know this for some years. Because the transformation's painful and beyond one's ability to control, I spent some time even pitying my biter, but Greyback's nothing like that. He prepares every full moon and specializes in children. 'Bite them young,' he says. 'Raise them apart from their parents and to hate normal wizards.' He's insane and works with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Why do you ask?"
"Malfoy threatened to set him on Borgan if he didn't cooperate," said Cedric. "He said, 'you know Fenrir Greyback's an old friend of the family. He'll be checking in on your progress. If you don't cooperate, he'll pay a special visit and there might just be a new werewolf in town, or maybe a dead one.'"
"Well, if that doesn't prove Malfoy's a Death Eater, I don't know what does," said Ron.
Lupin didn't look pleased, in fact, he looked disturbed by the mention of Greyback. "I think you'd better keep a closer eye on Malfoy and watch yourselves. Once you find out what he's up to and he tries to set his plan in motion, report it immediately."
"We will," said Cedric.