Voldemort: *singing* "I'm as happy as a squirrel, long as I'm with mister Quirrell."

A Very Potter Musical

Chapter Five

Speculating

Crabbe and Goyle were sent away of course. Judging by Goyle's look of worry, Draco knew that his minion had not betrayed his suspicions to Lucius. That did little to relieve Draco of tension. His father had probably already come to the same conclusion as Golye without the kids help.

Some of the other Slytherins took note of Draco's departure with his father, but whatever thoughts they had on the matter would not be discussed until they were safely back in their common room. Hopefully Potter's and Granger's actions would take precedence over a seemingly ordinary event as Draco taking a walk with his father. By the time they came to that particular subject matter, Draco would have returned to the common room… maybe… possibly not. Crabbe and Goyle would stick around anyway, if only to inform Draco what everyone thought of the matter.

Lucius did not speak at once, simply walked with his cane drumming against the floor tiles. Draco kept his expression relaxed, though his palms were beginning to sweat. Damn you, Potter! Draco thought venomously. I should not have to fear my own father! He knew it was not entirely Harry's fault. Draco really should have been less clumsy in coming up with plan to restore Slytherin's name. No, he didn't come up with a plan. That was the problem. He simply did something so Gryffindor no one knew how to take it. A Malfoy helping a mudblood? Just what was he planning?

Nothing. Draco thought bitterly. And I really should have… too late now.

Something of Draco's thoughts must have shown on his face, for his father said, "I am not disappointed in you, Draco."

Draco looked up, surprised.

"You did quite well in preforming the killing curse."

Draco let a small smile come to his lips, but, inside, his heart had dropped and settled somewhere in his stomach. His father would not say what he really thought of Draco until they were in more private quarters.

Click. Click. Click. Went his father's cane.

Draco felt as if he should say something, but didn't know what. His father was probably reading all sorts of things from Draco's silence and after too long a pause Draco finally came up with: "I'll get it down eventually."

Click. Click. Click.

"You seem distracted," Lucius said.

Click. Click. Click.

"I've got a lot to think about."

Click. Click. Click.

"I see."

They did not speak again until they reached Lucius' private rooms. Draco did not know how long his father would be staying. Probably just long enough to restore the Malfoy's wavering reputation.

Lucius shut the door and immediately began setting wards against ease dropping. Draco's heart was hammering in his chest. His throat had constricted to a point that he could not trust himself to speak. His hands were now slick with sweat and now his forehead was beginning to bead up as well. He turned from his father before any of this weakness could be spotted. But he had to get a hold of himself quickly or it would be obvious that something was wrong, not that there was really any point in hiding now.

"Do you know why I have come, Draco?" Father said.

Draco still didn't trust himself to speak. He at least managed to get a hold of his expression and quickly wipe the sweat from his forehead before turning to face his father. He did not speak. He could not make the words come out. To disown me, cast me out of the Malfoy family. Condemn me for betraying the blood purist's belief and rejecting my future as a Death Eater. I am to be punished for learning and accepting the truth. But Draco could not say any of these things. It was all he could do to meet his father's eye.

"There is something at work here," Lucius said when it became clear that his son was not going to speak. The words took Draco by surprise. "I am told you were not involved in the war between Miss Granger and the lesser fiends of Hogwarts. It is clear that you have aligned yourself with Potter, and he extends protection to Granger. Judging by the current state of things at Hogwarts, I do not think that it was unwise of you to form an allegiance with Potter, he indeed seems to have found a very powerful friend."

Draco wondered if father was referring to the ghost of Slytherin, but could not bring himself to ask such a ridiculous question out loud.

"Who?" Draco asked instead.

Lucius' eyebrows shot up. "Can you not guess?"

Draco thought, but he still decided it would be stupid to suggest the ghost of Slytherin in front of his father.

"Surely, you do not think Potter acted on his own in the incident with Tracy Davis? Draco, you must know that he does not have that amount of magical strength."

Not magical strength. But Potter has his science, and he'd been at Hogwarts for one semester and who knew just what sort of horrible concoctions he came up with to strip and glue fifty students to the ceiling. But, again, Draco didn't say any of this out loud.

"It was the Defense Professor," Lucius finally said.

Draco blinked. "Professor Quirrell?"

Lucius nodded, and took a seat in a recliner beside an empty fire place. He gestured for Draco to do the same.

"Why would Professor Quirrell get involved with a student's quarrel?" Draco could not believe he just said that with a straight face.

Lucius only gave Draco a brief look before saying, "Why indeed."

They sat in silence for a few minutes and Draco still couldn't see what Professor Quirrell had to gain by such an act. Well, it had gotten Lucius' attention. Maybe he did it for the sole purpose of having Lucius teach children the killing curse.

"Why are you here, Father?" Draco asked.

"I'm part of the board of governors for the school and a real battle nearly took place in a classroom. It is clear that the current headmaster does not think student safety is top priority. Children are being taught how to kill, have mock battles on a regular basis, and seem to be heavily under the impression that there is going to be another war. Someone is going to end up dead, and I am here to be sure it is not you."

"Father," Draco said after a pause. "Professor Quirrell seems to be responsible for almost all of that."

"And who hired Professor Quirrel?"

And then Draco saw it. Dippet had not remained Headmaster long after the death of Myrtle.