Draco: Open Mouth, Insert Foot
Hermione and Ron pushed through the crowd of students who were standing gathered around their friend, and basically adding to the confusion without providing any help. Hermione shook her head in disgust. You would’ve thought one of them would’ve bothered to check and see if Harry was okay, but no, all they did was stare at his body. Obviously they thought Lavender and Professor Trelawney were right and Harry was dead.
Once she was certain that Harry was alive, if unconscious, Hermione snapped at Lavender, “Hush! Professor Trelawney was wrong! Harry is alive. He’s just unconscious.”
Hagrid, who had joined them after securing an angry Buckbeak to the paddock fence, told the gathered Slytherins and Gryffindors. “Class dismissed,” then he growled, “Malfoy, you stay!”
“I am not a dog that you can order around, so why should I be forced to stay?” The blond Slytherin spat contemptuously. He was extremely annoyed that he had lost thirty points for Slytherin due to a jumped up gamekeeper and scarhead.
Hagrid loomed menacingly over him for a moment. “Thirty more points from Slytherin, Malfoy. And you stay ‘cause I said so! You will be accompanying me and Harry to the Hospital wing. If Madam Pomfrey says his condition is the result of you ignoring my instructions on how to deal with Hippogriffs then you will have detention with Filch for the next month for endangering a fellow student.”
“I had nothing to do with Potter’s collapse!” Malfoy protested. “I wasn’t anywhere near him. In fact, I was the one who was in danger because of that maniacal Hippogriff.”
“Actually,” Ron couldn’t resist putting his two knuts in, “you brought Buckbeak’s reaction on yourself, by ignoring what Hagrid said. He told us that Hippogriffs are proud creatures and needed to be treated respectfully, but you acted like Buckbeak was a bug to be stepped on.”
“Also it is possible, Malfoy, that Harry magically exhausted himself saving your life.” Hermione added. “The lighting that separated you from Buckbeak came out of a clear sky. Then there was the spell that pulled you out of the paddock… before Buckbeak had a chance to try again.”
“Are you out of your mind, Granger?” Malfoy couldn’t believe the drivel he was hearing. “How could Potter have magically exhausted himself? He didn’t even have his wand out, not to mention that we haven’t learned how to do the summoning charm yet.”
“Accidental magic,” Hermione shot back unwilling to give an inch in the argument as Hagrid picked Harry up and started to carry him toward the castle. “It wouldn’t be the first time Harry’s done something really powerful by accident.”
“You’ve definitely fallen off your broomstick, Granger.” Malfoy snorted as he reluctantly followed Hagrid back to school with the other two Gryffindors bringing up the rear. “Everyone knows that you stop doing accidental magic once you get your wand.”
“You’re wrong about that Malfoy.” Ron looked pleased by the thought that he could one-up both Malfoy and Hermione. “My dad told me that the Ministry has sometimes had to clear up accidental magic done some wizards even after they’ve had their wands for years. Apparently if you’re really powerful, you can sometimes have outbursts of accidental magic, when you get angry or have some other kind of strong emotional outburst.”
"Of course that's something you don't have to worry about, now is it Weasley, being powerful I mean. You can barely do the most basic of spells, without the help of scarhead and a filthy mudblood." Draco said as he eyed Hermione with disgust before quickly moving to follow Hagrid, pleased to have had the last word.
Pulling on Ron’s arm, Hermione barely managed to stop him from going after the Slytherin. Hermione was also pleased to note it put some distance between them as they followed Hagrid and Draco back to school. She wanted to talk to Ron without anyone overhearing. “Ignore him, we have more important things to worry about.”
“What?” Ron growled frustrated.
“These magical outbursts Harry’s had, can they be dangerous?” Hermione wanted to know. “I mean what if he has more outbursts like that one?”
Ron stopped moving for a moment, looking thoughtful. “I don’t know. Dad never said what happened to the older wizards who had outbursts of accidental magic. It’s not exactly something someone wants to experiment with. Harry’s had three bursts of accidental magic that we know of in the past month and two in less than twenty-four hours that have caused him to pass out. That’s guaranteed to have drained his magical core, though hopefully not to a dangerously low level or it could take a while for it to build back up.”
From the tone of Ron’s voice, Hermione gathered that wasn’t a good thing. “Do you think Harry might have had more incidents of accidental magic than we know of? And if he did, why didn’t he tell anyone?”
“Who would he tell, Mione?” Ron wanted to know. “He spends the summers with the Dursleys. And if he’s lucky, they ignore him for the most part. Though from what Dad told me, other than his blowing up of his Uncle’s sister, there were no other outbursts recorded in or around his home this summer, so if he did have any more, they might’ve happened while he was staying in Diagon Alley. It probably wouldn’t have been detected there, with all the other magic around.”
Hermione chewed worriedly on her bottom lip, "Sounds like it was his blowing up of Marge Dursley that started this pattern of accidental magic. We need to do some research to see if there is a way to stop it from happening.”
“Mione, this isn’t going to be something you are going to find information on in books. Especially not at Hogwarts.” Ron told her, not because he hated the idea of spending time in the library, but because he knew from what his father had told him that most of the information on accidental magic in adults was mostly hearsay. “Nobody’s really bothered to research it. The only place that might and I do say might have any information at all on repeated occurrences of accidental magic would be the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry, and that’s only because they look into all sorts of odd things. Also according to my father the only ones who can get their hands on anything researched by them are the ones who work in that department. They’re even more paranoid about their secrets than Mad-Eye Moody.”
#######
”I’ll bet five galleons that we wake up in the hospital wing again.” Harry commented as he stared at the desert landscape of Abydos.
“I never bet when I know I’m going to lose.” Daniel told him.
“What happened?”
Daniel looked slightly sheepish as he admitted, “I think I overtaxed our energy levels saving Malfoy’s life.”
Harry mentally replayed the events leading up to his collapse. “I don’t know whether to be glad that you did what you did, or tell you shouldn’t’ve bothered. Malfoy is a prat. I doubt this incident will get him to change his behaviour toward those he considers beneath him. In fact I doubt he will even admit he was responsible for what happened.”
“I’ve met a few people like that.” Daniel put in agreeably. “Their minds are set in concrete and you can’t free them with dynamite.”
“What worries me,” Harry commented, “is what Lucius Malfoy will try and do to Hagrid and Buckbeak once Malfoy tells his father what happened.”
Remembering Harry’s memory of Dumbledore explaining that his father had saved Professor Snape’s life, Daniel suggested, “Once we get out of the Hospital wing, we may want to check in the Library and see if there is any kind of requirements incurred by the saving of someone else’s life in the wizarding world. I mean in some cultures if you save someone’s life you become responsible for them and in other’s they become your property.”
“What you mean I might be responsible for that prat?” Harry looked horrified at the thought.
“Not necessarily,” Daniel told him placatingly. “Tradition seems to be very important in the wizard community from what I remember reading in the books we got in Diagon Alley. It might be possible that when a person saves another’s life there is some kind of binding or ritual invoked because of it. For example, from what you shared with me of your memories of your first year at Hogwarts, there had to be something else driving Snape to protect you, given how much he hated your father and it might’ve been what was behind his attempts to save your life during your first year at Hogwarts.”
Harry looked thoughtful. “What if the books are in the restricted section or have been taken out of the library?”
“Why would they be?” Daniel looked at him puzzled.
“Dumbledore seems to want to keep me ignorant of wizarding customs and traditions. He might’ve had them removed in case I ever wanted see what obligation Snape had toward my father.” Harry reminded him.
“True, but if you didn’t look for the information during your second year, I doubt he would’ve continued to keep any books on the subject out of the Library.” Daniel reasoned.
Harry thought about that for a moment and agreed with the reasoning. “I wonder how Professor Trelawney is going to react to what happened?”
“She’ll probably feel vindicated.” Daniel guessed, “And more than likely will step up her Death predictions, which means we will be out of her class and into Ancient Runes by Friday evening.”
Harry looked pleased at that prospect. “That’s going to bollux up one of her other predictions as well. Remember she said that ‘around Easter one of our number will leave us forever’. We’re gonna be leaving way before Easter.”
Daniel just laughed and Harry thought it was a nice laugh.
“Would you show me some more of the places you’ve been? I’ve never really been anywhere but London, the Burrow, and here.” Harry asked
“Do you want to see places on earth? Or other planets?” Daniel was certain there were quite a few places on Earth and in the universe that Harry might enjoy seeing.
“How ‘bout we start with Earth and then work outward.” Harry suggested. “I think I should see more of the wonders of my homeworld before I go wandering any more of the galaxy.”
######
“Madam Pomfrey!” Hagrid’s voice boomed as he carried Harry through the doors into the Hospital wing, followed by Malfoy, Ron, and Hermione.
“Don’t shout Hagrid!” Madam Pomfrey sounded annoyed as she came bustling out of her office, but when she caught sight of the unconscious child in his arms, she instantly switched to her concerned healer’s voice. “What happened to him?”
“I found him like that.” Hagrid told her. “I think he used accidental magic to save Malfoy when he antagonised one of the hippogriffs, I was using for today’s class.”
“Put him down there,” Poppy gestured to the nearest bed. Then she pointed a finger at Malfoy, “You! Over there!” She pointed to a bed across from the one Hagrid had just placed Harry on. “I want to check you over as soon as I finish seeing what harm has been done to Mr. Potter by your foolishness.”
“It’s not my fault Potter got hurt! I wasn’t anywhere near him!” Malfoy protested as he sat down on the indicated bed. He was smart enough not to argue with her. The medi-witch had very subtle ways of getting back at you. “I was the one in danger from that stupid beast that this supposed teacher brought to a class of third years. What competent teacher in their right minds would expect a thirteen year old to be able to deal with a hippogriff?”
“You disobeyed a teacher’s instructions.” Hermione reminded him. “And Harry put himself at risk to save your life.”
“All of you be quiet!” Madam Pomfrey ordered, not taking her eyes off her unconscious patient. “Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley both of you will wait outside. I don’t need any distractions right now.”
“But we want to know how Harry is!” Ron protested.
“And I will come out and tell you, as soon as I am done with both of my patients.” Madam Pomfrey assured them.
“How is he?” Hagrid asked worriedly as Poppy studied the results her diagnostic spells had produced.
“He is going to be fine. He has just managed to magically exhaust himself again!” Poppy sounded annoyed. “I knew I shouldn’t have let him out so soon. Well he won’t be leaving until Thursday morning at the earliest. I intend to make sure he doesn’t get another chance to do so, because if he keeps this up, he could reduce his magical core down to that of a Squib.”
“When will he wake up?” Hagrid wanted to know.
Poppy waved her wand over Potter again and stared at the results, baffled. “His energy levels are rising quickly almost as if he’d swallowed an energy replenishing potion, so I would say he will probably be awake this evening.”
Madam Pomfrey bustled over to the bed Draco was sitting on. “Now let’s see what’s happened to you.”
A few diagnostic spells later she told him, “You got off lucky, just some bruising on you back and butt.”
“If it were up to me Malfoy, I’d tell her ta leave ‘em,” Hagrid’s rumbly voice commented, “but then you’d just go whining to yer father like you always do and he’d make out to the Board of Governors that you were mortally wounded and I refused to allow her ta treat ya.”
Malfoy said nothing, just scowling at Hagrid for making him sound like a baby. He didn’t always go running to his father. Sometimes he took care of things himself, but as his father had always told him; If you have power you should use it, otherwise people will think they can walk all over you.
Healing up the bruises, Madam Pomfrey told him, “You can go.”
As Draco headed for the door, Hagrid told him, “You are to meet me at 5:30 Saturday morning, Mr. Malfoy. You will serve your detention with me then. Oh and be sure to wear something you don’t mind losing.”
Draco paused at the door wondering what the batty gamekeeper had in store for him and how Snape might be able to get him out of it.
#######
Harry woke and even though everything was fuzzy, he could tell by the whiteness around him that his guess was correct and he was in the Hospital wing.
/I should just move into the hospital wing,/ Harry told Daniel as he reached out to the nearby nightstand, groping for his glasses.
/Jack says the same thing about me and the SGC Infirmary./ Daniel laughed. /Last time I was in there, he told me I spent so much time in there that Janet should just give me my own bed. I told him not to give her any ideas. I have enough trouble getting out of there as it is./
/I wonder how long it will be before we will be able to convince Madam Pomfrey to let us out of here?/ Harry wondered idly.
/I don’t think we can expect to see anything more than these four walls for at least a few days./ Daniel pointed out. /She’s a lot like Janet. She’s not going to let you go until she’s certain you’re not going to have a relapse./
Once he could see the room clearly, Harry sat up and waited expectantly for Madam Pomfrey to appear. She always seemed to know when her patients were awake.
/Probably some kind of motion detector spell on the bed or you./ Daniel hazarded a guess.
Harry made no comment certain he was probably right. It would be the only way she could stop people sneaking out. Unless they were too sick to move, most people got out of the Hospital wing as soon as they could. Madam Pomfrey was a lot like Molly Weasley when she had a patient… way too overprotective.
/I just hope she’ll let us have something to read or work on./ Daniel commented, /otherwise you and I are going to be bored to death with nothing but these four walls to look at./
/Well she’ll let Ron and Hermione bring me schoolwork./ Harry told him. /They did it last year when I was getting the bones in my left arm regrown after that idiot Lockhart removed them./
/In that case maybe Hermione can find us a book on wizard debts as well./ Daniel suggested.
/How would we get her to do it?/ Harry inquired. /Hermione is real big on studying, but might not help if it doesn’t directly deal with homework or a school subject./
/Malfoy is the vindictive sort isn’t he?/
/That’s not quite the word I’d use but yea./
/Well, he’s bound to want to go after Hagrid and Buckbeak./ Daniel pointed out.
/He’ll probably get his father to./ Harry agreed.
/The we can present it to her as we need to find out information on wizard debts so that if he does owe us for saving his life, we can stop his father from doing anything./ Daniel explained his reasoning. /I think she will help us locate a suitable book if it’s put to her like that./
/How do we get her to keep it secret? I mean so Dumbledore doesn’t find out?/ Harry wanted to know.
/We just tell her that given Malfoy’s vindictive streak, we want to have something to use against him if he decides to get even with Hagrid or Buckbeak over what happened today, without Snape or the Slytherins finding out./
/That might just work./ Harry told him sounding pleased.
Madam Pomfrey bustled into the Hospital wing and noticed that her patient was sitting up in bed. “What are you doing up, Mr. Potter? You should be lying down.”
“I feel fine Madam Pomfrey.” Harry protested.
“Well, you’re not.” Madam Pomfrey countered. “You’ve managed to magically exhaust yourself twice in less than forty-eight hours. You may as well resign yourself to staying in that bed for a few days.”
“Days!” Harry managed to sound properly horrified even though he and Daniel had expected it. “Why do I need to stay here that long? I feel fine.”
“You are staying because I said so. I have no intention of releasing you only to have you magically collapse because you do a piece of magic that is beyond the power of a third year to do either deliberately or accidentally and drain your magical core down to almost nothing again. You don’t seem to understand the seriousness of what happened or what could happen to you if it continues. You could wind up a Squib.” Madam Pomfrey cast a quick diagnostic spell and it revealed his magical core was back to its normal level, which made no sense. She’d been a healer for over forty years and had never seen someone’s magical core behave the way Potter’s was. What was going on? How had Potter managed to regenerate his core so quickly? And for the second time! It normally took about a week at least.
Feeling Harry’s worry that he might end up like Filch the only other Squib he knew of, Daniel was quick to reassure him. /That will never happen, because you haven’t lost the ability to care about people. Besides if Mryddin is right about Ascended powers and magic all coming from the same source, my power will always be there for whatever we might need to do. Besides, even if the worst happens and you can no longer work magic, we both know you will be okay, given that we met in ’96 and you weren’t starving or homeless. As a matter of fact, you looked like you were doing ok./
Before Madam Pomfrey could say anything more, the door to the Hospital wing opened and Harry spotted Hagrid coming in the door.
“Hagrid!” Harry was pleased at the interruption, because the expression on Madam Pomfrey’s face had made Daniel comment that it looked like she was about to ask some rather awkward questions they wouldn’t be able to answer.
“’arry, yer awake!” Hagrid was pleased by that fact and hurried over to sit in a chair near his bed. “Yer looking fine.”
“And I feel fine.” Harry hastened to reassure him. “I’ve been trying to convince Madam Pomfrey of that fact.”
Knowing that Harry wanted his help to get out of the Hospital wing, Hagrid told him. “Ye jes lissen ta what Madam Pomfrey tells ya. She’s only doin’ what’s best fer ya.”
“Then can you do me a favour?” Harry requested. “Can you ask Hermione to bring me my books and assignments by later so I don’t get too far behind, since Madam Pomfrey isn’t going to let me out of here until Thursday at the earliest.”
“Ye ‘ad me worried earlier when ya collapsed.” Hagrid told him earnestly as Madam Pomfrey headed back to her office as soon as she saw that neither of them was paying attention to her.
She wasn’t going to protest Hagrid’s interruption. He was keeping the boy’s mind off getting out of the Hospital wing for now. She would keep an eye on them though and if Hagrid got the boy too excited, she would make him leave.
“I’m just sorry Malfoy spoiled your first class.” Poppy heard Harry say to Hagrid. “Don’t let him get you down though, just remember Malfoy’s a git. He’s always been a git and he’ll always be a git.”
“Yea, that ‘im is jes like ‘is father.” Hagrid commented, in a slightly lower version of his booming voice. “How did ya like me firs’ class?”
“I liked the class and meeting Buckbeak.” Harry told him cautiously. “I just wish that you had picked something less dangerous for our first class.”
“Hippogriffs aren’t dangerous.” Hagrid told him.
“Not if handled correctly,” Daniel agreed, taking over the conversation with Harry’s approval since he didn’t want to hurt his friend’s feelings, “but when you get a git like Malfoy or someone who is not a very brave person yet, like Neville, that’s a potential disaster waiting to happen. I mean, if I hadn’t intervened, Malfoy could’ve been badly hurt if not killed and if that had happened, Malfoy’s father would’ve come down on you and this school like a rampaging Troll.”
“Yer right,” Hagrid sighed, sounding melancholy. “I jus’ wanted me firs’ class ta be special.”
“And it was,” Daniel was quick to reassure him. “I doubt anyone will forget it, but you need to work up to what most people consider dangerous creatures. You have to make your class fit your students, not your students fit your class, Hagrid. We’re only thirteen and we don’t know a lot of defensive or protection spells yet like the sixth and seventh years would. What won’t hurt or kill you or them, could us. You need to start off small like with baby animals, or full grown animals that won’t possibly kill or injure us if we make a mistake. Or if someone like Malfoy deliberately decides to be stupid. Teach about animals like the phoenix or unicorn., then gradually work up to the more potentially dangerous ones with us.”
“Eh, maybe,” Hagrid murmured as he got to his feet and headed for the door, looking thoughtful. “I’ll see ya later ‘arry. Ron and Hermione asked me to tell you they’d be by later.”
###########
Harry didn’t have another visitor until after dinner. Ron and Hermione came in. Hermione’s arms were full of books while Ron had just opened what looked like a chocolate frog box, grabbed the frog in mid leap, and stuffed it in his mouth.
/Some wizard candy is just strange./ Daniel observed as he watched the legs stop twitching on the frog that was hanging half out of Ron’s mouth.
/But it’s very tasty,/ Harry countered.
/You won’t get any argument from me on the subject of chocolate./ Daniel told him. /It’s just I prefer mine not to move./
Harry made no comment to that, choosing instead to ask Hermione, “What’s with all the books?”
“I brought your books for class so you wouldn’t get too far behind.” Hermione told him, settling the books on the nightstand beside his bed.
“I tried to talk her out of it, mate.” Ron put in. “I told her you needed your rest. I mean at the very least she could’ve brought you a Quidditch magazine to read. The last one I saw had some great moves for Seekers and I have no doubt Wood is going to be on fire to win that trophy since this is his last year.”
“Well, he doesn’t need to get too far behind in his schoolwork either.” Hermione disagreed. “Or he’ll never catch up. After all Madam Pomfrey told us he was going to be in here until Thursday at least.”
“Thanks for reminding me.” Harry commented glumly. “I’m fine, but she insists on keeping me in here for a few days.”
“Harry, you’ve passed out twice from magical exhaustion.” Hermione rounded on him sternly.
“But…”
Harry got no further in his protest, because Hermione barrelled on as if she hadn’t heard him “You need to fully recover this time and not go to classes where you will need to use magic and possibly have another magical outburst so that you pass out again.”
/Good God! She’s almost a clone of Sam!/ Daniel commented. /That sounds just like something Sam would say if I were in the base infirmary./
/And how do you get around Sam when she agrees with you base doctor?/ Harry wanted to know.
/I don’t,/ Daniel told him. /I protest a bit and then she bribes me with Chocolate Walnut cookies and Starbuck’s coffee. God I miss coffee!/
At Daniel’s silent prompting, Harry said, “Hermione, can you find a book for me in the library?”
Surprised, Hermione said, “sure, as long as it’s not a book on Quidditch.”
“I need you to find a book on wizard debts or maybe it might be obligations.” Harry told her after looking around as if to make sure there was no one nearby. He already knew from Daniel’s ability to detect magical signatures that Ron and Hermione were the only ones near the bed. “And I don’t want anyone to know about it.”
“Why?” Hermione looked puzzled. “It would be far easier to locate an obscure book like that if I ask Madam Pince’s help.”
“I think Malfoy is going to try and pull something on Hagrid or Buckbeak, because of what happened this morning.” Harry told her earnestly. “From something Dumbledore told me my first year about how my father saved Snape’s life, placing him in his debt. I think that the debt was more than just a desire not to owe my father for saving him. I think maybe it is a real obligation with penalties, if it isn’t paid. I need to find out what they are so I can try and stop Malfoy and his father from hurting Hagrid or Buckbeak.”
“I wouldn’t put it past the slimy git.” Ron muttered. “He hates looking like a fool. And he certainly did this morning.”
“Right,” Harry nodded. “But I don’t know anything about such obligations though I’m willing to bet the Malfoy’s do. Malfoy is going to be counting on my ignorance and this once we need to beat him to the punch before he has a chance to do real harm.”
“And it would be better if Malfoy and the other Slytherins didn’t know you were trying to locate the information.” Hermione quickly understood. “Otherwise they might remove it.”
/I just hope she will keep it from Dumbledore./ Daniel commented.
/She will./ Harry was certain of it.
“Hermione, I expect you’ll be seeing me in Ancient Runes soon.” Harry commented.
“Oh,” Hermione seemed surprised and a little worried by that. “Why?”
“I rather imagine Professor Trelawney is going to play up the fact that I collapsed as proof that Death is after me. She strikes me as the type who won’t let it rest.” Harry told her. “Which means Professor McGonagall will have to allow me to change classes.”
“Will you be changing classes too, Ron?” Hermione asked the red head.
“I think I’ll stick with Divination. Besides Neville will need some moral support, if Professor Trelawney decides to start targeting him instead. She’s already got him spooked.” Ron said with the air of one making a great sacrifice for the good of his fellow Gryffindors.
They spent the remaining time until Madam Pomfrey told them they had to leave discussing various school topics.
As she turned to leave, Hermione told Harry, “I’ll bring you my notes for Ancient Runes tomorrow, so you know what’s already been covered.”
#######
Harry felt like swearing as he rushed to try and get to his first Potions class of the year. Madam Pomfrey had kept him in the Hospital wing until the last minute, when he had wanted to speak to Professor Lupin before the day’s classes started. Now he would be lucky if he weren’t late to Potions and wind up with Snape taking off points. He was certain that Snape would take off points even if he were early to class, not that he would be. He had no real desire to spend any more time in Snape’s company than he had to.
One thing Harry was looking forward to about Potions was seeing Malfoy. Hermione had come through for him and found a very slim volume on Wizarding protocols and obligations that had information on life debts. He and Daniel had worked up a few scenarios for getting Draco to publicly admit that it had been Harry who saved his life. According to the information in the book a publicly admitted life debt was a more powerful binding than one that was privately acknowledged.
The Potions class was almost halfway over by the time Harry reached the dungeon classroom. He entered quietly hoping to remain unnoticed while Snape was busy ranting at Neville regarding his potion, but his arrival was noticed, by Snape. “Well, nice of you to deign to join us, Mr. Potter. You might’ve been better off if you had gotten here at the beginning of class instead of in the middle.”
As the Slytherins snickered, Harry simply said, “Yes, sir. I’ll be sure to pass that information on to Madame Pomfrey as well, since she was the one who kept me from getting here at that the start of class.”
Snape just glared at him, knowing full well just who had delayed the brat’s appearance in his class. “Ten points from Gryffindor for your cheeky and unnecessary comment. Take a seat and get started on your potion.”
Snape smirked at the look of dismay on Potter’s face as he realised the only available seat was next to Malfoy. The Potion’s Master had deliberately arranged it that way, after Poppy had made it quite clear to Snape that Potter was not to suffer any potions mishaps today that brought him back to the Hospital Wing or Snape would regret it the next time he came under her care.
Snape in turn had made it clear to Draco that he was to make sure that nothing dangerous made its way into Potter’s cauldron and that Potter made no stupid mistakes with his potion. He had made it clear to Draco, that godson or not, if Potter wound up in the Hospital wing again any time soon, then he would suffer Snape’s wrath.
“We are making Shrinking Solution today. The instructions are on the board.” Snape told Harry once he had his equipment out. “Normally any competent brewer could make it in an hour, but given how late you arrived, I doubt you will be able to. We shall see.”
Harry wisely made no comments, not wanting to lose any more points. He could feel Daniel in the background of his mind observing everything with fascination, but staying silent until his input was needed.
Malfoy worked quietly on his own potion for several minutes and then decided that while Snape had made it clear that Dumbledore’s “golden” boy was not to be physically harmed, nothing had been said about not harassing him.
“Seen your pal, Hagrid lately?” Malfoy inquired snidely
Harry didn’t respond, his attention focused on chopping up his daisy roots as fine as was called for in the potion recipe.
Ron however rose to the bait by saying, ”That’s none of your business, Malfoy, but I doubt that he has, given that he’s been in the Hospital wing for the last few days because of your actions.”
Malfoy glowered at Ron, but continued on as if Harry had answered his question. “I doubt he’s going to be a teacher much longer. Not that he’s really qualified to teach to begin with. Dumbledore must’ve been truly desperate to hire him as a teacher. Father wasn’t too pleased when I told him about my first Care of Magical Creatures class.”
Pulling a couple of Shrivelfigs out of his Potions kit, Harry couldn’t resist commenting, “You mean you actually told your father what a git you were and how you failed to follow a teacher’s instructions. Or did you do what you usually do; lie and blame other people for your mistakes?”
Ron and some of the nearby Gryffindors snickered at Harry’s comeback.
“My father knows that an unqualified teacher brought several dangerous creatures to class without adequate supervision.” Malfoy countered loftily. “He intends to speak to the Board of Governors as soon as possible about it.”
Harry calmly repeated what Daniel had said. “Actually, Hagrid had adequate supervision for a group of teens. He just didn’t know he was going to have several spoiled children to teach.”
Malfoy’s eyes narrowed at the insult. “At least I have someone who cares about me. According to what I’ve heard you don’t even have that.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Harry felt Daniel give him a mental hug and knew there would always be at least one person who would be there for him and that Daniel didn’t regret the fact that their lives were forever joined together. Daniel had been alone most of his life too and it was nice for both of them to know that neither of them would have to go on alone.
“Your father might want to reconsider that course of action, given what your family owes me.” Harry pointed out.
“What my family owes you.” Malfoy stared at him in disbelief. “What could my family possibly owe you?”
“You mean aside from getting rid of Voldemort, so he could pretend to be a law abiding citizen again?” Harry added the daisy roots to the potion. “Well, if it weren’t for me, he might be burying you because of your failure to follow instructions.”
“You did nothing!” Malfoy countered haughtily. “It was a bolt of lightening that kept the beast from striking me.”
“Ah yes, that single bolt of lightening coming out of a clear blue sky.” Harry commented as he sliced up his shrivelfigs. “And then there was your rather undignified exit from the paddock, before Buckbeak had a chance to try and strike again. No human pulled you out of Buckbeak’s way and I doubt an elf would’ve have bothered considering how your family treats them. And lest we forget, I ended up in the hospital wing suffering from magical exhaustion, after you were miraculously rescued.”
“So what if you were responsible,” Malfoy countered. “It means absolutely nothing.”
The air crackled around them and golden aura surrounded both boys.
“Actually,” Harry disagreed, “it means a great deal, for you have just publicly admitted that I saved you life, thereby placing you in debt to me.”
Snape came over to stand near their table. “I would suggest you both return your attention to your potions, if you want to get a grade for today’s class.”
“Yes sir.” Harry agreed and then added, “Malfoy just publicly admitted that I saved his life earlier this week.”
"I see," Snape replied as he raised an eyebrow at the pale boy in a questioning manner. "Your father will need to be made aware of the matter as soon as possible. I doubt your father will be pleased to find out that the Malfoy heir has publicly admitted being indebted to the Potter heir. Nor will he be happy to hear the reason for it. I am also sure he will be revisiting your lessons on when you should speak and when you should stay silent."
Snape turned his attention to the Gryffindor side of the room where it was far safer to vent the anger he was feeling over his godson’s stupidity. And fortunately his usual target other than Potter had managed to screw up his potion again. “Orange? Longbottom, this potion isn’t supposed to be orange. Tell me does anything stay in that brain of yours. Not only do the instructions on the board say that you use only one rat’s spleen and a dash of leech juice, I went to all the trouble of repeating it, so you hopeless dunderheads wouldn’t wind up poisoning yourselves. I’m beginning to wonder just what it is I have to do to get through to you, Longbottom.”
/And I thought Kinsey and the Goa’ulds were the only ones that arrogant./ Daniel commented as the Potion’s Master verbally ripped into Hermione Granger when she offered to help Neville fix his potion. /Is Snape always like this?/
/Sometimes he’s worse,/ Harry told him, /he hasn’t threatened to use him for potion’s ingredients yet./
As Seamus Finnegan leaned over to borrow Harry’s scales, he asked, “Did you hear what was in the Daily Prophet this morning, Harry?”
“No, what?” Harry wasn’t really interested, he was concentrating more on finishing his potion since he had started later than everyone else and he knew Snape wasn’t going to cut him any slack because he’d just gotten out of the hospital wing.
“Sirius Black was sighted near here.” Seamus told him. “He was spotted by a muggle who called the hotline, but by the time the Aurors had gotten there he’d vanished.”
Malfoy couldn’t help noticing Potter’s interest in this bit of news and thought he could get back against Potter for that nasty trick he’d played with the life debt. His eyes glittered maliciously as he asked, “Thinking of trying to catch Black single handed, Potter?”
Harry looked at him in disbelief. “Now why would I be stupid enough to want to go after a mass murderer?”
“I can’t believe you don’t want justice after what he did, Potter.” Malfoy was surprised at his answer then a thought occurred to him. “You don’t know what he did, do you? Cause if it were me and he’d killed a member of my family, I wouldn’t be willing to stay in school like a good little boy. I’d be going after him.”
Harry finally figured out what he was talking about. Black had been put in prison for killing his family, but he wasn’t supposed to know about that, so he pretended ignorance. “Just what are you babbling about, Malfoy?”
“Black killed…”
Before Malfoy could finish his big announcement, Snape stated, “All of you with the possible exception of Potter should be finished with your potions. Now it’s time to test Longbottom’s.”
Heliopolis Main Archive
A Stargate: SG-1 Fanfiction Site
Two Shall Be As One
by CorwalchKapitel Bemerkung:
/Words, and more words/ = conversations between Harry and Danielwords and more words = private thoughts, flashbacks, dream/mindscapes
words and more words = Ancient or parseltongue
(AN: The one in control of Harry’s body will be listed first, Ex: Daniel/Harry would mean that Daniel was in control. Harry/Daniel means Harry is. This was originally supposed to be all one chapter, but had to break it up, since the file was too big. So you get 2 chapters for the price of 1.)
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