Summary of the last chapter:

Nearly all students leave for the Christmas Holidays, but Hermione and Harry stay at the castle. As Draco keeps pestering them 'like an attention seeking toddler', Harry eventually invites him to play boardgames with him and Hermione. They spend a slightly awkward, but nonetheless agreeable day together in the Ravenclaw common room.

A/N: This is another very short chapter, which is good for my poor (and awesome!) beta Dreamthrower, as the next one is exceptionally long!

Malfoy Manor

Severus was glad to have a good reason to excuse himself from dinner in the Great Hall as soon as Christmas and Boxing Day were over. Albus always insisted on a more intimate seating arrangement during the holidays, which made mealtimes all the harder to bear. He was grateful for the dinner invitation he had received for tonight. Although, strictly speaking, it wasn't a dinner invitation, but Albus didn't need to know that. Severus had planned on going to a nice Italian restaurant right after the social meeting he had requested.

As he walked along the straight, hedge-lined path towards the stately manor looming at the end of it, he tried to remember when he had last been here. Definitely quite a while ago, back in the days after the downfall of the Dark Lord. Back when there were a lot of trials being held and those bearing the Dark Mark were desperately pulling strings to come out with a clean slate.

Severus had been one of Lucius' strings. As Dumbledore had spoken for him, firmly insisting that Severus had been a spy on the side of the light almost from the beginning, Severus had been cleared of all charges before the other trials even started. For Lucius, he had thus been someone he liked to associate with – hoping that a friendship with the spy somehow served to prove that he couldn't possibly have been a real follower of You-Know-Who.

In truth, Lucius looked down on the half-blood of questionable upbringing, and Severus was well aware of the fact. He knew he had merely been useful because of his skills and his eagerness to prove himself to the Dark Lord. He had been an easy target for Lucius' recruiting. The Dark Lord had been pleased to have his very own Potion Master, and Severus had quickly risen in his favour. Lucius liked to be close with anybody who had power or the potential to become a powerful player, and associating with the Malfoy heir had strengthened Severus' standing with the pure-bloods in return. It had always been an alliance with mutual benefits, never a friendship.

He had been slightly closer to Narcissa, who had offered him help and mentorship when she was in her last Hogwarts year, and Severus had already been struggling with the Marauders. She had taken him under her wing, taught him the pureblood ways, manners and some basic social skills. He had no idea if it was out of sympathy for him or a sense of duty as head-girl. Likewise, he had no idea if she had kept incontact all these years because she genuinely liked him or if she thought of Draco's future in Hogwarts, as it was clear that he would end up in Severus' house one day.

As soon as Lucius had been cleared and the relationship with the dour and unpleasant teacher stopped being advantageous, Lucius had stopped associating with him. Severus hadn't lamented the loss. It was much more advantageous for him not to keep close company with former Death Eaters any longer.

He had remained in contact with Narcissa though, who occasionally met with him on neutral ground to inquire how Draco was doing academically. When he had contacted her by owl and asked for a meeting, she had immediately sent him an invitation to the manor.

Severus was welcomed by an old elf in a clean towel who, funnily enough, had a slightly haughty air about him, just like his master and mistress. He led Severus into the formal living room, where both of his hosts were awaiting him.

The necessary pleasantries exchanged and drinks offered, Lucius came straight to the point. "I was surprised when Cissy told me of your request to meet with us. Is everything alright with Draco?"

"Well, he's not been petrified. But I'm getting increasingly concerned about what's happening in Hogwarts. I'm wondering whether Draco has told you at all, given that you chose to leave him in school, differently from what you usually do. Students were particularly eager to go home for the holidays this year. I know the headmaster is keeping things quiet, but surely the governors must have an idea about what's going on?"

"The petrifications and the threats you mean? Yes, of course. My son dutifully writes home to his parents every week and informs us of his well-being, his grades and what's going on in his school."

"Well, then you probably know that Draco has not been entirely successful with trying to establish himself as a leader among the Slytherins of his year, but is doing his best to alienate Harry Potter, who's rumoured to be Slytherin's heir." It wasn't exactly true – Draco's demeanour towards the potential heir was provocative and rather peculiar, but not outright hostile. But that wasn't anything Lucius needed to know. "Aren't you concerned at all?"

Lucius snorted. "The boy is not Slytherin's heir! He's a half-blood associating with Mudbloods and blood traitors like the Longbottom and Weasley spawn!"

"He's a Potter, a pureblood family with an impressive ancestry," Severus objected. "He speaks Parsel. He's also smart, cunning and very talented. Why do you think it's so unlikely that he's truly Slytherin's Heir? Everything points to it."

"Come on, Severus! The Boy-Who-Lived, a dark wizard in the making? Though I admit the thought is amusing. Dumbledore must be very distraught."

"No matter if he's the heir or not, he has challenged Draco's position multiple times, and part of Slytherin is listening to him. The house has never been so divided. Potter is surely stirring things up. Do you think it wise that Draco is opposing him so?"

"I told Draco not to make an enemy of him when he started Hogwarts. But now that it looks as if Potter might not stay in Hogwarts much longer, it hardly matters."

"You think they will expel him on the basis of him being the heir? There is no proof. The wizarding world will not get rid of their hero on the basis of speculation and assumptions, especially if they are being spread by the child of a suspected Death Eater."

"We will see, Severus. I can tell you that the school governors are getting very upset with how things are being handled at Hogwarts. Two students lie petrified in the hospital wing, and it seems like nothing has been done to find and stop the culprit. It's only a matter of time until someone dies. And if that happens, Dumbledore will be kicked out of office for sure. And without him holding his hands over the hailed hero of the wizarding world, who knows what will happen."

"And yet you are not concerned for Draco's safety?"

Lucius waved him off. "Draco is not in danger. Whoever is behind the attacks obviously only attacks Mudbloods."

"Which is still a cause for concern, as it points to someone who supports the pureblood ideology behind it. If these suspicions get public, it will be grist to the mill of people like Arthur Weasley. I've heard they've been coming down hard on families who are known to possess a lot of dark artefacts and potentially dangerous family heirlooms."

Lucius' face hardened. "That upstart Arthur Weasley! I have no idea how he managed to convince the Wizengamot to pass that stupid Muggle Protection Act! And above all, I fail to understand how this bylaw justifies the searching of our properties! It's not as if any pure-blood would ever allow a Muggle to even come near their precious family heirlooms! No, it was just another attempt of those envious have-nots to put a spoke in the wheels of those who have an ancestry and family assets to speak of!"

"Have they really come to search the manor?"

"Indeed they have! The indecency of having to hide part of my inheritance as if it were something to be ashamed of! But I swear to you the likes of Weasley will get their comeuppance! Hypocrites, the lot of them! You know what their sons did! Flying to Hogwarts in a bewitched Muggle car that, by his own law, he's not allowed to even possess! Just wait until I'm done with him – he will rue the day he decided to mess with a Malfoy!"

"Darling, calm yourself!" Narcissa said soothingly, when Lucius tossed his Firewhiskey back as if it were water and jumped out of his comfortable leather chair, visibly agitated. "We'll not let them win. It is but a brief phase … let them believe they have the upper hand for now. They will soon find out who's really in power."

Severus, of course, had no idea what exactly they were talking about, but he found his suspicions confirmed: Whatever was going on at Hogwarts, the Malfoys were in the thick of it. Just how their hatred of the Weasleys and the Wizengamot faction led by Dumbledore related to the opening of the Chamber of Secrets and to Harry Potter remained a subject of speculation.