Hello everyone.
I present you my new multi-chapter story about Scorpius Malfoy and his difficult friendship with Albus Potter. Enjoy!
Warnings: bad language, violence, bullying.
The Skin of the Serpent
Prologue: It Doesn't Matter
He hated Potions not only because the class smelt of sulphur and mustiness or because stirring a cauldron was boring as hell but mainly because this was the only lesson they shared with the Gryffindors. That always reminded Scorpius of who he was and what fate lay upon him… upon all Slytherin students, for that matter.
More than twenty years had passed since the war's end, but its consequences remained visible.
The defeat of the Dark Lord and his unquestionable death didn't erase the division and hate; sometimes, they were even stronger. Even those born in a time of peace still had deep-rooted prejudices. But most of all, Slytherins were still treated as potential Death Eaters or their allies.
Scorpius sighed and stirred his cauldron: three times right, five times left, exactly as the recipe said. After that, he had another four long minutes to observe the people sitting around him.
Among the Slytherin students, almost everyone had someone from their family imprisoned in Azkaban. Scorpius wasn't an exception. His uncle, Rudolphus Lestrange, was a member of that inglorious party, and to be honest, his father was also close to sharing the same fate.
That story was taboo in Malfoy's family. His father never wanted to speak about war and what had happened there. Scorpius only knew that some actions of his grandmother, Narcissa, had saved her son from prison, and the great Harry Potter had been involved somehow in it. Scorpius never learned more details, but he knew one thing: his father, Draco Malfoy, was a bloody coward, and sometimes, Scorpius truly hated him for that.
Three right, five left.
Scorpius, bored to the bones with that fascinating process of making a wood-changing-into-metal potion, supported his head on his hand and placed his elbow on the dirty table. Everything in that room was sticky from so many years of cauldron fumes - one more reason not to love Potions. Scorpius preferred Charms. It was a more practical lesson with much more spectacular effects.
Not that it mattered.
Maybe he had some predisposition for these things, but in the future, he wouldn't have much use for it. He would never be an Auror or work for any department in the Ministry. Scorpius was a Slytherin, and that was the curse he couldn't erase.
When he had come to Hogwarts three years ago, he had been full of childish dreams, and he hadn't known the rules of the Wizarding World. However, he quickly understood that no matter what kind of person he was or what gifts he had, first and foremost, he was a Slytherin and the son of a Death Eater, and only that mattered.
Everything, because his father was a coward.
Draco had been afraid for his skin when history was made. He joined the Dark Lord, who ultimately lost the battle, the war, and the future of all Slytherins.
Three right, five left.
The Muggles said: the winners take all, and that sentence perfectly described that situation. After the war, everyone who supported Lord Voldemort - openly or not - was imprisoned in Azkaban or thrown away at the margin of society. They couldn't work at any major position or use any kind of advanced magic. It had to prevent the next war in the future, to prevent those whose blood was cursed by the dark magic from gaining any power or authority. Was Scorpius' blood cursed? He didn't know, but for people who ruled the Wizarding World, he was in the risk group. The winners took all, and the losers had to live with the consequences. Scorpius knew that all very well.
Other Houses treated Slytherins as if they were infected; nobody wanted to talk to them, and if there was any conflict, the guilt was always on one side. Slytherins were second-rate students and could attend Hogwarts only because, twenty years ago, the headmaster from Slytherin had turned out to be a war hero. He was probably the only reason their House wasn't disbanded for good.
Three left, five right.
"By Merlin's rotten beard!" Scorpius barked when he realised that because of all these dark thoughts, he had mistaken the instructions.
He started to search for some solution in the book, but deep inside, he already knew that he would produce a giant mass of volcanic slag rather than the metal.
Not that it mattered.
Finally, he closed the book, put out the fire underneath the cauldron, and poured its content into the sewage. He sat and did nothing for the rest of the lesson, ignoring what his teacher said. If he had been in a different House… or been born into another family, it would have been worth the effort, but now…
At last, the sand in the hourglass poured over, and Scorpius could leave the cursed dungeon. He was the first student to walk out and quickly climb the stairs. But before he reached the top, he noticed that he had left his Potions book in the classroom. For a few seconds, he wondered if there was any sense in going back for it, but after that, he pictured a bunch of Gryffindors tormenting his stupid book and that motivated him to take action.
He ran down the stairs, and when arrived at the doorway, he almost collided with Albus Potter. The small Gryffindor looked at him strangely: a little wary but with hidden fear. Yes, everybody knew that the youngest son of Harry Potter wasn't too brave, and the mark of a famous father visibly bothered him. That was the reason Scorpius disliked him even more than other Gryffindors. That boy had everything. He could achieve so much and fulfil his every wish without much effort only because his name was Potter. But he didn't use it; he probably didn't even know how lucky he was.
Scorpius muttered something under his breath and passed Potter. The room was almost empty and much darker than before, but he noticed his book was gone. Completely resigned, Scorpius only shrugged. He would probably find it in the boys' toilet. He turned around and spotted Potter, still standing in the doorway, and looked at him with tension. For sure, he knew who had taken Scorpius' book and why. Still, he wouldn't give the names of his classmates, especially to the Slytherin.
Scorpius felt ill at the thought. He didn't need and didn't want Gryffindor's compassion. He might be a Slytherin and have a shitty life, but it didn't mean he lost his pride. Scorpius said nothing and, without even looking at Potter, he left the room…
However, that didn't matter either.
I
Hogsmeade was the best-known village in Great Britain, where only wizards and witches lived. At that time of the year, a little before Christmas, when everything was covered in snow and lit with multicoloured lights, the place truly deserved the title of the most magical place in the country. Hogwarts students were eager to visit Honeydukes and many other shops to buy gifts for family and friends. The atmosphere was filled with happiness and holiday cheer.
However, Scorpius was more irritated than entertained by what was happening around him. He sat on a low wall next to Zonko's shop and observed the other students as they left excited with their new items.
He should go to the bookshop and buy a new Potions book since his previous one was in too bad shape. It had a nasty stench - even after being carefully dried - so he had thrown it away.
It was only his fault; he shouldn't leave his things alone in the classroom - even if only for a moment. Without that book, he had very little chance to pass Potions. Although, Professor Smilthon might pass him regardless of his marks since clearing Hogwarts of Malfoy as soon as possible was his main goal.
However, Scorpius wasn't going to test his luck, so after a while, he jumped off the wall and began to walk towards the bookstore.
He flinched as a firecracker exploded right next to his feet, and at the same moment, he heard the laughter of three Slytherins.
"Hey, Scorpius! Look what wicked stuff we bought. Wanna try them with us?" one of them shouted.
It was their third visit to Hogsmeade, and they were still really excited. But after all, those three always behaved like toddlers, so it wasn't a surprise. Some people never grew up. If someone like them were the future of Slytherin, it wasn't looking too bright.
Nonetheless, Scorpius wouldn't waste his time with those three morons; he looked at them with disgust and walked away. That day, he wasn't in the mood for a verbal fight even if they asked to take them down a peg.
The bookshop was no further than a five-minute walk from Zonko's shop. It was an old but nice building, and inside were towers of books reaching to the ceiling. Unlike other places, Scorpius didn't expect to see a crowd there, and he was right because there were only a few customers inside. Next to one shelf stood Professor Longbottom, who probably searched for some herbology news. A little further down, two girls from Ravenclaw chatted quietly, and in the corner, Scorpius spotted the Slytherin, Esther Moonbrown, hiding behind a book. She was the example of a very strange student; she was quiet and calm, always prepared for lessons, and never got in anyone's way. With that attitude, she was much more fitted for Hufflepuff, and only the Sorting Hat knew why she had been placed in the House of Snake.
However, that was why she seemed to be much more interesting company than the other students. Thinking about it, Scorpius stepped closer to Esther and read the title of her book.
"'The Battle of Hogwarts in the context of the history of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'. That's a rather heavy read for a Saturday afternoon," he said.
A little surprised, Esther raised her eyes from the book and looked at him. After a moment, she smiled and shrugged.
"Probably with some romance in hand, I would appear more normal, but it's not my style. I will leave the sighing at fictional characters for others."
Scorpius snorted. "I assume you prefer to sigh at more real ones. Maybe those who defeated the Dark Lord?"
"I prefer to learn from the mistakes of our ancestors."
For one moment, Scorpius wanted to ask about what mistakes she was talking about. The mistake of choosing to follow the Dark Lord… or the mistakes made during the Battle of Hogwarts, which ultimately brought the Death Eaters to defeat? But he didn't say anything. That kind of insinuation wasn't proper even among Slytherins. A good habit was to deny all connections to the Dark Lord and his allies. However, Scorpius knew that there were students who still believed in his ideas. Still, many were against mixing the Wizards' and Muggles' blood, even though no one said it aloud; to admit their true feelings would send them straight to Azkaban.
Was Esther one of these people? They had known each other for over three years, but Scorpius didn't know her well. However, even if Esther had those kinds of beliefs, she wouldn't admit something like that - especially to him.
"If you dream about fighting against dark magic, you've been placed in the worst house possible to do so," he added.
"Are you sure I'm fitted for battle mage?"
She was rather small and seemed fragile, so not really.
"Indeed, you don't look like a warrior."
"As much as you don't look like someone I'd expect to meet in a bookshop."
Esther reminded Scorpius why he came here in the first place, and that ruined what was left of his good mood.
"Don't worry, I won't be here for long," he added, turned around, and began to search for the Potions book.
After spending a few minutes searching for the book and finally buying it, Scorpius left the bookshop. He stopped in the middle of the street, looking around and thinking about what he could do next. The other Slytherins were probably in Honeydukes, but he didn't feel the need to join them. There would be too much talking and stupid jokes for his liking, so he decided to walk around the village instead. Scorpius made his way through the snowy streets and among the Christmas-decorated houses.
After a while, he came to the village border and in the distance, he saw the Shrieking Shack. In the past, it had been the most haunted of all places in Great Britain - at least, that was what everyone believed. Years later, everyone knew that the ugly building wasn't cursed. However, no one dared to go near it, mostly because Severus Snape, the previous Hogwarts headmaster, had been killed there by Lord Voldemort. That fact alone kept people away from the place.
Scorpius watched the building for a while. He fought the urge to approach and look inside. He had a little more than an hour before they would return to school, and the Shrieking Shack was far more interesting than anything else in the Hogsmeade. He didn't fight for long. He looked around, but no one nearby could spot him, so he went faster towards the shack.
As he approached the shack, Scorpius heard strange noises from the building - screaming, squeaking, and loud laughing. He wouldn't allow the haunted tales of the Shrieking Shack to sway him; he refused to be a coward like his father, so he only drew his wand from the pocket and slowed down as he carried on.
He quickly realised the sounds weren't coming from a ghost. Scorpius caught sight of the real offenders as he came closer to the shack. At the entrance, two older Ravenclaws attempt to push a young Hufflepuff inside. She was screaming, crying, and fighting with all her might to not fall into the cursed shack. Scorpius knew she didn't have a chance with the two stronger boys.
"Come on. Snape's ghost wants a virgin as an offering," taunted one of them, pulling the girl by her long, black hair.
Scorpius knew these two. Their names were Timothy Nash and James Backsing. They were in the fifth year and were the beaters in Ravenclaw's Quidditch Team. Scorpius wasn't surprised they liked this sort of entertainment - they always looked like the type who would enjoy torturing the younger students.
He shouldn't interfere; he knew he would regret it. He should turn around and return to the village for his safety. Whatever he did, the blame would be on him. He didn't believe any teacher would listen to him, nor would the younger Hufflepuff vouch for him. Scorpius was the Slytherin. He knew she would be too afraid of these two to say anything against them.
Scorpius shrugged and hid his wand in his pocket. For sure, he would regret it.
"Seriously? Two big blokes can't win against one little girl?" he asked when he emerged from the corner.
All three students looked at Scorpius. The Ravenclaws left the girl, who fell into the snow.
"What are you doing here, Snake?"
"I heard some fuss this way and wanted to check what funny you are doing."
The Ravenclaws looked at each other and then laughed ominously.
"Do you want to join the party?"
Scorpius also smiled viciously.
"It seems you need a little help."
Saying that, he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the girl.
"You are far too lively," he muttered, which made the boys laugh even more.
"Accio!" he cast a spell but moved the end of his wand a little to the side.
At that moment, a huge tree branch, which lay a few metres behind them, floated into the air. The girl sat on the ground, but the boys weren't as lucky. The branch hit them at full speed.
"Run!" Scorpius shouted to the girl.
He didn't have to tell it twice. She jumped to her feet and raced back towards Hogsmeade.
Scorpius also wasn't going to wait for the Ravenclaws to recover. He followed the girl but could hear cursing right from behind him. The village seemed so far away and he was sure he didn't reach the buildings before…
"Stupefy!"
Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming pain in his back, and his knees buckled under him. He tried hard but could not keep his balance and finally fell facedown into the snow. If breathing weren't so hard, he would curse his empathy; he should be more cold-blooded.
He almost regretted that he didn't lose consciousness when he felt Nash kick him in the side and roll him on his back. Scorpius could fully see the rage painted on their faces, but his stupefied body gave him no chance to defend himself.
"You'll pay for that, lizard!" Backsing barked as he caught Scorpius' collar, pulled him up, and hit him a few times right in the face.
Scorpius closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He couldn't defend himself, but he wouldn't give them satisfaction. With the final blow, he heard the nasty sound of a broken nose and felt blood in his throat. Tears of pain curled in his eyes, and choking breaths made him start to panic.
When Backsing released him, Nash kicked him three more times, and after that, they left him in the snow and went back to Hogsmeade.
Scorpius lay on the ground and fought for every breath. The spell paralysed his muscles, blood flooded his throat, and his squeezed midriff didn't want to work properly.
Finally, after many painful minutes, Scorpius managed to roll onto his side and spit up the blood from his throat. He regained almost normal breathing afterwards but felt the pain with each breath. He lay there a little longer before attempting to sit up. He gritted his teeth and, struggling with his still-numb body, managed to stand to his feet. Feeling nauseous, he took his steps back to the village.
Scorpius hid his broken nose with his scarf, trying to stop the bleeding that way. Still, he couldn't walk straight and his breath was loud and wheezing.
"What happened to you, Malfoy?" Suddenly, he heard a question from behind. The voice was hard and sharp, so when he turned around, he wasn't surprised to see Professor Hooch watching him with judgmental eyes. His flying teacher from the first year was one of those people whose questions he could ignore.
"I didn't spot a tree," he murmured behind the scarf.
He knew the woman didn't believe him, but she wouldn't intervene. She probably knew he had been beaten, but he was a Slytherin, so he must have deserved it.
"When you come back to school, go to the hospital wing," she added and went away.
Scorpius didn't answer. Of course, he would go there, and when his nose regained its proper shape and function, he would begin his revenge. He had enough time to plan every detail when he lay in the snow.
