Trial of Strength
Lavender's heart skipped a beat as she looked so unexpectedly into her teacher's dark eyes. Then it began to beat all the harder.
"Miss Brown," Snape said, tilting his head in almost imperceptible irony. Then his eyes fell on Parvati. "Miss Patil, what are you doing here, if I may ask?"
"Excuse me, Professor, we have an appointment with Professor Dumbledore," Parvati said now, struggling to keep her voice firm. Lavender noticed that her friend had also been startled. Her eyes were wide and two red spots had formed on her pale cheeks.
"I know Miss Brown has an appointment with Professor Dumbledore," Snape replied impatiently, turning to Lavender. "If you will follow me, please! Miss Patil can accompany you, of course, if you don't have the courage to face him alone!"
He turned and mounted the spiral staircase, which immediately began a spiralling upward movement. Lavender and Parvati jumped up two steps behind him, exchanging horrified looks and helpless hand gestures. "What's he doing here?", Parvati's lips formed soundlessly.
"I don't know," Lavender replied in the same kind. Her stomach ached, her mind raced. Was Severus just going to deliver her to Dumbledore, or was he going to be there for the conversation? We should have guessed that … but I can't stand it! He's being so mean again—as if he'd never held me!
She turned her gaze forward and stared at her teacher's upright back, his straight shoulders almost touched by his black hair. Freshly washed again, Lavender noted to herself, and her fingers itched to touch them. Actually, they hadn't been greasy at all since the holidays … WAIT!
Another surge of adrenaline ran through her from top to toe. Is there a woman behind all this? Maybe the other day in the Three Broomsticks was a date after all! Ron said he went to the back area where there weren't so many people …
But before she could continue her terrible thoughts, they had already arrived in Dumbledore's office, where the next shock was waiting: Draco Malfoy!
"What is he doing here?" whispered Parvati with disgust in her voice.
Severus turned to her. "He is the subject of Miss Brown's accusation," he explained to Parvati in a tone as if he supposed her to be completely stupid. "He also has the right to comment on this. Albus," he announced, turning to Professor Dumbledore. "Miss Brown, accompanied by Miss Patil!"
"Good evening, you two," Dumbledore greeted them, beckoning the girls to come closer. "Please take a seat. We are just waiting for Mister Weasley and Professor McGonagall …"
What, they come too? That can't be true! Lavender groaned inwardly. Did it have to be blown out of proportion like that? Her anger at Draco had already completely fizzled out in Severus's arms, and she didn't feel the slightest interest in reopening this case in all its details.
And who knows what else they'd like to talk to me about! If Severus starts the class thing now … The girl broke out in a cold sweat and she caught a pitying look from Parvati.
Then suddenly Ron was standing next to them and Lavender hissed at him, "Couldn't you have let us know that this was gonna turn into a trial?"
"I thought that was obvious," Ron grunted, palms turned upwards. His cheeks had flushed and he was panting like the Hogwarts Express; he had obviously lost track of time and run all the way to the office.
The three of them sat down on the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk; Lavender almost ended up on Parvati's lap because they both didn't want to sit next to Draco, who was sprawling on an armchair to the left of the desk and once again looked as if he couldn't harm a fly. His silver-blond hair was neatly combed back, his grey eyes gazed earnestly at the headmaster. Behind him, black as night, Severus loomed, one slender hand resting on the back of the chair.
Finally, Lavender sat down on the chair closest to the two and crossed her legs. Thanks to Parvati's magic, her plaid skirt now reached her knee, but she still felt slightly uncomfortable when she felt the eyes of both men on her.
The silence in the room became almost unbearable, and when the spiral staircase finally began to move, Lavender was not the only one to breathe a sigh of relief. Professor McGonagall entered the room and sat down to the right of Dumbledore's desk. "Sorry I'm late, I got held up," she said quietly to Dumbledore, who just smiled at her.
"Then let us begin," he said, his kind gaze resting on Lavender. "I have already been informed by both Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall of the incident two days ago, as it was brought to their attention by the prefects. Now I would like to hear your version of it again!" He looked at Lavender expectantly and she felt sick. She hated speaking in front of so many people, especially when it caught her off guard. She had really thought it would be a small round, with just Dumbledore, where she might be able to play down the incident a little. She didn't want Draco to get into trouble, which he would take out on her and Parvati again at the next opportunity anyway.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She met Draco's arrogant expression and Severus's dark eyes. "Now talk," he urged her. "Tell us what happened at Quidditch practice two days ago. Or does Miss Patil have to do that for you?"
Lavender pulled herself together—and she almost only looked at Severus as she, almost automatically, began to recount how Draco and his team had first started the quarrel about the Quidditch pitch and how he had finally pulled her off her broom for no apparent reason. How she and Draco had fallen, but had been rescued just in time by Ron and Harry …
"… which Malfoy might as well thank you for!" she was interrupted by Parvati, and Ron nodded vigorously. "He would have been as dead as Lavender!" She glared angrily at Draco.
"Mister Malfoy!" insisted Snape. "Let us please observe the rules of courtesy and treat each other like civilised people!"
A disbelieving expression entered Parvati's face.
He of all people talks about politeness, Lavender thought. I'll die laughing!
"Besides, you were not present at the incident, Miss Patil. Please let Miss Brown continue her report!"
"That was pretty much it," Lavender commented. "Mister Malfoy and I got into a fight then because I was, well, pretty mad at him … and you know the rest, Professor Snape." She looked him straight in the eye, and he returned her gaze in an inscrutable way. Whoever blinks first loses!, Lavender thought determinedly as the moment turned into seconds, and it certainly won't be me!
But neither did Severus avert his fixed gaze from her, and a peculiarly paralysing feeling began to grip Lavender's arms and legs; then Dumbledore took the floor again, and almost with relief all heads turned in his direction.
"Alright, Miss Brown, so that would be your version, which I find quite frightening, to say the least. You really have both been incredibly lucky, which I think we have the courageous intervention of Mister Potter and Mister Weasley to thank for!" Lavender could see Severus's and Draco's lips curl in almost synchronised disdain.
But their faces immediately softened again when the headmaster looked in their direction. "So now I would like to know from you, Mister Malfoy, how it could have come to this," Dumbledore continued, looking at Draco scrutinizingly over his half-moon glasses.
Draco narrowed his gaze. "I didn't mean it," he murmured.
Parvati gasped in disbelief and Dumbledore put a hand behind his ear. "Could you please repeat that, Mister Malfoy, I didn't quite catch it!"
Draco raised his smoky grey eyes to the Headmaster and Lavender saw that he was struggling to hide his hatred. "I only meant to frighten her," he said now in a clear voice. "I didn't mean to snatch her off her broom, and … I didn't mean to kill her either …" A sideways glance brushed Lavender.
"I actually believe the latter," Professor McGonagall said in a sharp voice. "You brutally yanked the girl by the plait, and if you had thought through even a little bit the consequences of such … I'll call it unsporting conduct, I don't think you would have been that stupid. But you acted in the heat of the moment, which doesn't make things any better! How can you have so little control over yourself?"
"Perhaps we should begin at this point to shed more light on the reason for this act committed in the heat of the moment," Severus now let himself be heard. He now had both hands on the back of the chair and looked challengingly at Professor McGonagall.
The reason would be indeed quite interesting, thought Lavender, who was still not aware of any guilt.
Professor McGonagall snorted. "No matter what it was—"
"Well, Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore said. "What was it?"
Draco straightened up in his chair and glared angrily at Lavender. "She was babbling stupidly!"
"Excuse me?" cried Lavender indignantly. "I didn't say a word!"
"That's right," Ron confirmed with forced calm.
"Draco," Severus said admonishingly.
Draco turned briefly to his godfather, then corrected himself, "She sang 'Tell tale tit, your tongue shall be split'. And then she just kept playing … even though we were all still waiting for Uncle—for Professor Snape!"
Lavender's jaw dropped and Parvati slapped the flat of her hand across her forehead. "What?" she cried, "that was it? Malfoy, you really are so sick!"
"Miss Patil!" hissed Snape. "One more unqualified remark like that and you will be excluded from this discussion to which you were not summoned anyway!"
"Severus," Dumbledore said quietly.
"And," Draco let himself be heard again, "she said to Weasley, 'come on, let's get on with it!' That was on purpose!" He really sounded like a whining toddler, and Parvati discreetly put her hand over her mouth. Lavender could see her wide grin behind it, and her own lips began to twitch suspiciously. Ron, on the other hand, stared at Draco and showed his bewilderment quite openly.
Severus turned to Dumbledore. "She clearly provoked him," he said calmly.
Lavender was stunned. "No, I didn't!" she cried.
"She didn't!" exclaimed Ron at the same time. "Mister Malfoy was quite a distance away from us when Lavender threw me the ball. It's a mystery to me why he even felt addressed!"
"You will speak when you are asked!" Severus gave them both such a cold look that Lavender shivered. With all her might she conjured up the memory of the day before yesterday, his warm hand on her forehead, his soothing voice … but the whole thing already seemed like a distant beautiful dream.
"She said 'telltale' to me," Draco let himself be heard again. "Why shouldn't I feel addressed?"
"And this incident was not the first of its kind," Snape continued, addressing the headmaster. "The girls provoke him—with full intention—with mean remarks, silly giggles—" he emphasised the last word, not without looking at Lavender meaningfully, "and that until he lets himself be carried away with a rash action. I observe this both in my classes and outside of school. Only recently I had a talk with Miss Patil and Miss Brown about it, but as you can see, it didn't do much good. I had explicitely warned them not to tease the boy!"
Lavender and Parvati exchanged an incredulous look.
"That in no way justifies Mister Malfoy's behaviour the day before yesterday," Professor McGonagall remarked in a sharp voice. "A boy his age really should have better control of himself!"
"The same goes for your charges!" Snape shot back. He leaned forward over the chair back and two strands of his black hair fell into his face. "Only the other day Miss Patil hit him in the face with all her might—"
Parvati jumped up angrily. "And, did he perhaps tell you why?" she shouted wildly. In her rage, she appeared to Lavender like a wildcat deciding whom to pounce on first with her claws extended wide; her eyes flashed, her sharp features looked as if chiselled.
"That's enough!" Snape roared back. "Twenty points from Gryffindor because you keep interrupting the proceedings with your superfluous interjections!"
"Because he called me a Turkish bitch!", Parvati continued to yell, as if she had not heard Snape's remark at all.
"What?" exclaimed Ron. "Malfoy, how pathetic can you get?!"
"Is that true, Mister Malfoy?" asked Dumbledore quietly.
Draco bowed his head and said nothing in reply.
"Then why don't you ask him right now what prompted him to make that remark," Snape suggested in a noticeably controlled voice, brushing his hair out of his face. Lavender saw that his neck and jaw had reddened with anger. He can really fly off the handle, she noted in amazement. I've never seen him like that before.
"That doesn't matter," Professor McGonagall interjected. "As we all know, Severus, we at Hogwarts are very much in favour of values such as equality, justice and tolerance towards minorities. And I must highly commend Miss Patil for setting Mister Malfoy straight on the spot for that disgusting remark. Forty points for Gryffindor!" she announced with a malicious smile, and Dumbledore grinned quietly into his beard.
Parvati sat down breathing heavily but with a satisfied expression on her face.
Severus stared wordlessly at his hands and Lavender's throat tightened. He was once again showing his most disgusting side, but at the same time he seemed to her like a cornered animal. He just can't help it, she thought regretfully, and her heart overflowed. She would have liked to get up and take him in her arms—despite everything.
But now he raised his head and stared at Dumbledore with strangely blazing eyes. And then he said something that made all loving feelings in Lavender fall like dead sparrows from her pink sky. "Another factor in why things have escalated so much is certainly Miss Brown's unwarranted participation in my class, which I never agreed with," Snape remarked in a strained voice. "Students like Draco Malfoy feel their ability to learn is limited as long as people like Miss Brown enjoy special treatment and bring the course level down! Of course, that creates bad blood."
The blood drained from Lavender's face, even her feet felt cold. You don't leave anything out, Severus! she thought, stunned, and she felt tears welling in her throat. This subject doesn't belong here at all, but really nothing is too stupid for you … not even in front of Dumbledore …
She dared a glance at the Headmaster, who eyed her seriously over his glasses and then turned to Draco. "Is that how it is?" he wanted to know. "Do you disagree with Miss Brown's participation in Potions?"
"It's unfair to everyone who wasn't admitted with such a lousy grade!" said Draco, and the indignation in his expression looked almost sincere. In fact, he absolutely doesn't care about anybody else!, Lavender thought bitingly. But she didn't dare look in Ron's direction.
"Well, Mister Malfoy," said Dumbledore, graciously, "Miss Brown's case is a little different. There are perfectly valid reasons why we let her attend Professor Snape's class …"
Which would also be of burning interest to me, Lavender thought confused.
"… and the only thing that matters now is how she performs there. So far, I haven't heard any complaints. Have you, Severus?" he said, turning to Snape, who forced the corners of his mouth up. 'No, she hasn't had a cauldron explode yet this year,' he growled.
"And does she keep the students from learning?" Dumbledore probed him.
"No," Snape hissed. "Except for the provocations of Mister Malfoy mentioned earlier …"
"That brings us back to the real reason for this meeting. Let us summarise," Dumbledore said in a deliberate voice. "Mister Malfoy, Miss Patil and Miss Brown do not get along very well, provoke each other and escalating situations occur time and again.
None of us knows when and from which side it started, which is no longer relevant. Since we cannot expect any miracles, all three of you should at least decide to refrain from remarks or fisticuffs that could lead to dangerous events like the one before yesterday.
And to put tempers at ease, I definitely recommend eating fennel drops, especially if you run into each other outside of class!"
Draco, who must have taken the last remark as a joke, grinned and rose from his chair. Severus also turned to leave. "Anything else, Albus?" he asked when he noticed that Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall had remained seated in their chairs.
"Indeed," Professor McGonagall said pointedly.
"It would be appropriate for Mister Malfoy to apologise to Miss Brown for the assault the day before yesterday," Professor Dumbledore stated.
"Excuse me?" Draco's eyes widened, as did his mouth, and he eyed Lavender with undisguised revulsion.
"He has already said it was not intentional!" explained Snape. "And he has already served his detention with me!"
Oh yes, Lavender thought ironically. You probably forced Draco to enjoy a delicious bottle of wine together!
"I'm sure you did, Severus. But intentional or not, his rash behaviour almost cost Miss Brown her life," Dumbledore clarified, and there was suddenly none of the usual mirth in his eyes. "There are Headmasters who would have expelled him immediately after such an incident. An apology is the least you can do to make amends!"
"Okay, sorry," Draco rasped, not looking at Lavender.
At that, Professor McGonagall freaked out. "Oh no, not this way, young man!" she screeched. Like a fury she shot towards him, grabbed his arm and shook him. "You shake her hand now, say you're sorry, and that nothing like this will happen again! Do you understand me?"
She roughly turned him around, towards Lavender, who hesitantly rose from her chair, and plucked his right hand out of his pocket. The small ball of parchment that fell to the floor was, apart from Lavender, noticed only by Parvati, who bent down inconspicuously for it.
Draco held out his hand to Lavender with a dismissive expression. It felt warm and a little damp, and she heard his voice tremble as he said, "I'm sorry, and it won't happen again." Every word took him quite an effort, and Lavender didn't believe a single one of them. His grey eyes were dark with hatred.
But involuntarily Lavender squeezed his fingers and whispered, "It's okay."
"Then, I assume, this matter is settled," Snape said in conclusion. He took Draco's arm and led him to the spiral staircase without looking back at the others.
Lavender looked at his upright figure and the dead sparrows at the bottom of her soul slowly began to recover. He must have expected something else from this meeting, she thought. But didn't he realise that he and Draco didn't stand a chance against Dumbledore?
And again her heart bled for him. Despite everything.
"What was that note anyway?" asked Lavender as they later got ready for the night.
"Note?" Parvati played the fool.
"The one that fell out of Draco's pocket," Lavender reminded her.
"Oh, it was nothing," Parvati said with a beating heart. She was deliberately lying to her friend, as the aforesaid piece of parchment was lying under her pillow, waiting to be read for hours. But so far it had been impossible to shake the agitated Lavender off for even a minute, who of course had to discuss the meeting at Dumbledore's down to the last detail. She had followed Parvati on her every step, even into the bathroom.
"Good night, Lavender," she said now.
"You want to go to sleep already?" it came incredulously from her friend, who was just about to settle down on Parvati's bed.
"I'm totally tired, sorry!" Parvati rigorously drew her curtains and waited with her eyes open until Lavender had gone to bed and switched off the light.
Then she crawled under her blanket, excitedly pulled out the parchment ball and unfolded it with trembling fingers. In the faint glow of her wand, she did not recognise anything at first. She turned the sheet to and fro, but it remained blank. An invisibility spell, she guessed. She was quite familiar with that herself, and she whispered and tried out a few spells. With the third one, she was lucky; suddenly the page was covered with fine, curved lettering. With a beating heart she read:
"17 September 1996
My son,
Your mother and I are very disappointed in you.
I was told of your breakdown at the last meeting, which leads us to believe that you are not yet man enough to wear the Dark Mark.
Since we can no longer undo the admission, I advise you to have another talk with your uncle, who should prepare you for the Night of the Blood-red Moon.
It is of great importance to you and our whole family that you remain strong and represent us worthily to the Dark Lord.
I will of course also be present.
Your father"
Panting, Parvati stuck her head out from under her blanket. She could hardly breathe and the letter had scared her to the core. Draco had collapsed at the last meeting? A fierce pity seized her, just as it had a week ago when she had overheard the conversation. Who knows what cruel things had happened there …?
Parvati had only very vague ideas about what might occur at a Death Eater meeting, and she had never felt the need to deepen them before. And now, when she imagined that Severus had also been there and witnessed all these events with a probably impassive expression, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. What are they doing there?, she asked herself again. And I knew it, his father is forcing him to do it!
Parvati took out her diary from under the mattress and copied down the contents of the letter word for word. Then, in a flash, two more pages filled with her agitated thoughts.
"And what is a blood-red moon?" she wondered. "When is this night supposed to be, and above all, what cruelty is supposed to happen there?"
Parvati went on to write about the meeting at Dumbledore's, how shocked she and Lavender had been to find Severus and Draco there, "although we really should have guessed so", and how much it had hurt her that he had snapped at her so unjustifiably. "No matter what, he always sticks by his little sugarbaby," she wrote, "even though he almost had a murder on his conscience … So much for a differentiated view of things! I guess, I was too hasty!"
Now that Parvati had finally admitted the novel feelings she harboured for Severus in all their painfulness, the disappointment of his performance at Dumbledore's sat in her stomach like a bitter lump. "And how he was yelling around there—he really forgot himself sometimes. I don't know him like that at all. And the way he tried to bash Lavender and me by hook or by crook—did he really think that Dumbledore and McGonagall would jump at it?
I wonder what his real problem is with us provoking Draco or Lavender sitting in his class? Does he feel ignored by Dumbledore? Because he doesn't seem to know his 'valid reasons'. Or—is it because of Lavender herself in the end …?" A hot shiver of jealousy ran through her at the thought. "The way they were looking at each other again! Oh man …"
Again she aired her blanket, under which there was an acute lack of oxygen, and greedily breathed in the fresh night air blowing through the open window.
"Say, what are you acutally doing there all this time?" Lavender let herself be heard in a suggestive voice, and Parvati winced. "Certainly not what I'm thinking now, right?"
"How should I know what you're thinking, you little pig," Parvati returned in a casual tone, glad that Lavender couldn't see her tears. "Where's Hermione anyway?" she quickly deflected. "It's nearly twelve, isn't it?"
"In the library, probably," Lavender guessed. A moment later she shouted, "No! We have Astronomy today!" In one leap she jumped out of bed and flicked on the large ceiling lamp. Parvati just managed to dry her tears on her blanket.
"I'm totally out of it, first the conversation and then you go to bed at ten," Lavender grumbled to herself as she hurriedly slipped into her clothes. "Tell me, what's wrong with you?" she then asked, looking searchingly into her friend's face. "Have you been crying? Is it because of Harry?"
"Oh, nonsense," Parvati said gruffly and turned away. Once again she cursed this moment of mental derangement when she had resorted to such a cheap excuse.
A little later, the friends, somewhat dishevelled, sat among their classmates under a starry sky. The moon, exactly half full, was reflected bright yellow on the lake, and Lavender drew in her breath audibly.
Parvati's heart also grew heavy as she breathed the tangy night air that already heralded the coming autumn. Hermione, sitting next to her, did not look a bit happier than she felt. No wonder: Ron had started flirting with Lavender again, and Harry, who otherwise would certainly have taken care of her, had not appeared at all.
But Parvati was also far too sad to take care of other people's problems now. She kept glancing over at Draco, who was sitting between his Slytherin friends and staring strangely absently at the sky. He didn't spare a glance for her or Lavender.
Maybe Dumbledore has finally managed to intimidate him, Parvati thought. And who knows how Severus will deal with him behind closed doors. Maybe he said nice things about me again that I will never know … Her face twisted into a listless grin.
"By the way, there will be a total lunar eclipse next week on Friday night," Professor Sinistra announced at the end of the double lesson. "Anyone who is interested in observing it can come here from midnight. However, you won't really see it until ten past one, when the moon enters the Earth's total shadow. Despite the late hour, I advise you not to miss this pretty event."
Parvati's gaze fell on Draco again, whose ear was being thoroughly chewed off by Pansy Parkinson.
But now he looked as if he had seen a ghost. Draco Malfoy was obviously scared, and suddenly it became clear to Parvati what he was afraid of: Of the next Death Eater meeting, which would take place exactly on the night of the following Friday.
In the Night of the Blood-red Moon.