Harry and the Gryffindor Quidditch team start practicing a lot since their game against Slytherin is around the corner. Dean Thomas takes the place of Katie Bell who is still in the hospital. Ron is having a hard time during practices and his inconsistency only gets worse under pressure. On the way back from practice, Harry and Ron pass Ginny fiercely making out with Dean, and Harry starts to feel extremely jealous. Ron is embarrassed and mad that Ginny would do that so publicly and gives her a hard time. Ginny yells back and embarrasses Ron saying that he's never snogged a girl, Harry's snogged Cho Chang, Hermione's snogged Viktor Krum, etc. Ron stomps to bed, while Harry tries to convince himself that he's just mad that Dean is kissing Ginny because she is Ron's sister. Really, though, Harry wishes he was snogging Ginny. Ron asks Harry if he thinks Hermione has snogged Krum. Harry tries not to answer but Ron can tell from the look on Harry's face that Hermione probably snogged Krum. Harry goes to bed but can't get his mind off Ginny. He wakes up to find a ornery and grumpy Ron who proceeds to be mean to a bewildered Hermione throughout the day. Furthermore, Ron's bad attitude keeps affecting his Quidditch practice in a bad way. Panicked that they will lose the Slytherin game, Harry comes up with a plan. Harry goes down to breakfast the next morning and greets a glum Ron. He pours Ron a pumpkin juice and Hermione notices Harry holding a vial of something. Hermione tells Ron not to drink the juice because she saw Harry slip something into it, but Ron drinks the juice anyway. A very angry Hermione storms off. They head out to the Quidditch stadium and are greeted by some good news; two Slytherin players are sick (Vaisey and Malfoy) and the weather conditions are perfect. It suddenly occurs to Ron what Harry had slipped into his juice. They go out onto the field and commence playing. Ron plays beautifully and Gryffindor wins. After the game, Hermione confronts Harry and Ron and accuses Harry of spiking Ron's juice with the Felix Felicis potion he had won in the first day of Potions class. Harry says he didn't and holds up the vial. He had tricked Ron into thinking Ron was lucky which boosted Ron's confidence. Sick of Ron and his attitude, Hermione leaves. Harry goes to the Gryffindor party and sees Ron snogging heavily with Lavender Brown. He goes off to find Hermione and finds her in an empty classroom crying. Suddenly Ron bursts in with Lavender. A hurt Hermione leaves the classroom, but not before attacking Ron with a flock of birds she conjures up.
Advanced Potion Making By Libati
Chapter 15: The Unbreakable Vow Snow was swirling against the icy windows once more; Christmas wasapproaching fast. Hagrid had already singlehandedly delivered the usualtwelve C hristmas trees to the Great Hall; garlands of holly and tinsel hadbeen twisted around the banisters of the stairs; everlasting candles glowedfrom inside the helmets of suits of armor and great bunches of mistletoe hadbeen hung at intervals along the corridors. Large groups of girls tended toconverge underneath the mistletoe bunches every time Harry went past,which caused blockages in the corridors; fortunat e ly, however, Harry'sfrequent nighttime wanderings had given him an unusually good knowledgeof the castle's secret passageways, so that he was often, without too muchdifficulty, to naviga t e mistletoe-free routes between classes. Ron, who might once have found the necessity of these detours excuse forjealousy rather than hilarity, simply roared with laughter about it all.Although Harry much preferred this new laughing, joking Ron to the moody,aggressive model he had been enduring for the last few weeks, the improvedRon came at a heavy price. Firstly, Harry had to put up with the frequentpresence of Lavender Brown, who seemed to regard any moment that shewas not kissing Ron as a moment wasted; and secondly, Harry found himselfonce more the best friend of two people who seemed unlikely ever to speakto each other again. Ron, whose hands and forearms still bore scratches and cuts fromHermione's bird attack, was taking a defensive and resentful tone. "She can't complain," he told Harry. "She snogged Krum. So she's foundout someone wants to snog me too. Well, it's a free country. I haven't doneanything wrong." Harry did not answer, but pretended to be absorbed in the book they weresupposed to have read before Charms next morning (Quintessence: A Quest). Determined as he was to remain friends with both Ron and Hermione,he was spending a lot of time with his mouth shut tight. "I never promised Hermione anything , " Ron mumbled. "I mean, allright, I was going to go to Slughorn's Christmas party with her, but she neversaid... just as friends... I'm a free agent..." Harry turned a page of Quintessence, aware that Ron was watching him.Ron's voice trailed away in mutters, barely audible over the loud cracklingof the fire, though Harry thought he caught the words "Krum" and "Can'tcomplain" again. Hermione's schedule was so full that Harry could only talk to her properlyin the evenings, when Ron was, in any case, so tightly wrapped aroundLavender that he did not notice what Harry was doing. Hermione refused tosit in the common room while Ron was there, So Harry generally joined herin the library, which meant that their conversations were held in whispers. "He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes," said Hermione, whilethe librarian , Madam Pince, prowled the shelves behind them. "I reallycouldn't care less." She raised her quill and dotted an 'i' so ferociously that she punctured ahole in her parchment. Harry said nothing. He thought his voice might soonvanish from the lack of use. He bent a little lower over Advanced Potion-Making and continued to make notes on Everlasting Elixirs, occasionallypausing to decipher the p rince's useful additions to Libatius B orage's text. "And incidentally," said Hermione, after a few moments, "you need to becareful." "For the last time," said Harry, speaking in a slightly hoarse tone afterthree-quarters of an ho u r of silence, "I am not giving back this book . I'velearned more from the Half-blood p rince than Snape or Slughorn havetaught me in--" "I'm not talking about your stupid so-called prince," said Hermione ,giving his book a nasty look as though it had been rude to her. "I'm talki ngabout earlier. I went into the girl's bathroom just before I came in here andthere were about a dozen girls in there, including that Romilda Vane , tryingto decide how to slip you a love potion. They're all hoping they're going toget you to take them to Slughorn's party, and thay all seem to have boughtFred and George's love potions, which I'm afraid to say probably work --" "Why didn't you confiscate them then?" demanded Harry, it seemedextraordinary that Hermione's m ania for upholding the rules could haveabandoned her at this crucial juncture. "They didn't have the potions with them in the bathroom," said Hermionescornfully, "They were just discussing tactics. As I doubt the Half-bloodprince" she gave the book another scornful look "could dream up an antidotefor a dozen different love potions at once, I'd just invite someone to go withyou, that'll stop all the others thinking they've still got a chance. It's tomor row night, they're getting desperate." "There isn't anyone I want to invite," mumbled Harry, who was still nottrying to think about Ginny any more than he could help, despite the fact thefact that she kept cropping up in his dreams in ways that made him devoutlythankful that Ron could not perform Legilimency. "Well, just be careful what you drink, because Romilda Va ne looked likeshe meant business." said Hermione grimly. She hitched up the long roll of parchment on which she was writing herArithma n cy essay and continued to scratch away with her quill. Harry wa tche d her with his mind a long way away. "Hang on a moment," he said slowly. "I thought Filch had bannedanything bought at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" "And when has anyone ever paid attention to what Filch has banned?"asked Hermione, still concentrating on her essay. "But I thought all the owls were being searched. So how come these grilsare able to bring love potions into the school?" "Fred and George send them disguised as perfumes and cough potions,"said Hermione. "It's part of their Owl order service." "You know a lot about it." Hermione gave him the kind of nasty look she had just given his copy ofAdvanced Potion-Making. "It was all on the back of the bottles they showed Ginny and me in thesummer," she said coldly, "I don't go around putting potions in people'sdrinks... or pretending too eit h er, which is just as bad..." "Yeah, well, never mind that," said Harry quickly. "The point is, Filch isbeing fooled isn't he? These girls are getting stuff into the school disguisedas something else! So why couldn't Malfoy have brought the necklace intothe school --?" "Oh, Harry... not that again..." "Come on, why not?" demanded Harry. "Look , " sighed Hermione, "Secrecy Sensors detect jinxes, curses, andconcealment charms, don't they? They're used to find d ark magic and d arkobje c ts. They'd have picked up a powerful curse , like the one in thenecklace, withi n seconds. But something that's just been put in the wrongbottle wouldn ' t register -- anyway Love potions aren't d ark or dangerous -" "Easy for you to say," muttered Harry, thinking of Romilda Vane. "-- so it would be down to Filch to realise it wasn't a cough potion, andhe's not a very good wizard, I doubt he can tell one potion from --" Hermione stopped dead; Harry had heard it too. Somebody had movedclose behind them among the dark bookshelves. They waited, and a momentlater the vulturelike countenance of Madam Pince appeared around thecorner, her sunken cheeks, her skin like parchment, and her long hookednose illuminated unflatteringly by the lamp she was carrying. "The library is now closed," she said, "Mind you return anything you haveborrowed to the correct -- what have you been doing to that book, youdepraved boy?" "It isn't the library's, it's mine!" said Harry hastily, snatching his copy ofAdvanced Potion-Making off the table as she lunged at it with a clawlikehand. " Spoiled!" she hissed . "Desecrated, befouled !" "It's just a book that's been written on!" said Harry, tugging it out of hergrip. She looked as though she might have a seizure; Hermione, who hadhastily packed her things, grabbed Harry by the arm and frogmarched himaway. "She'll ban you from the library if you're not careful. Why did you have tobring that stupid book?" "It's not my fault she's barking mad, Hermione. Or d'you think sheoverheard you being rude about Filch? I've always thought there might besomething between them..." "Oh, ha ha.." Enjoying the fact that they could speak normally again, they made theirway along the deserted lamp-lit corridors back to the common room, arguingw hether or not Filch and Madam Pince were secretly in love with eachother. "Baubles" said Harry to the Fat Lady, this being the new, festivepassword. "Same to you," said the fat lady with a roguish grin, and she swungforward to admit them. "Hi, Harry!" said Romilda Vane, the moment he had climbed through theportrait hole. "Fancy a gillywater?" Hermione gave him a "what-did-I-tell-you?" look over her shoulder. "No thanks," said Harry quickly. "I don't like it much." "Well, take these anyway," said Romilda, thrusting a box into his hands."Chocolate Cauldrons, they've got firewhiskey in them. My gran sent themto me, but I don't like them." "Oh-- right -- thanks a lot." said Harry, who could not think what else tosay. " Er-- I ' m just going over here with ..." He hurried off behind Hermione, his voice tailing away feebly. "Told you," said Hermione succinctly, " Sooner you ask someone, soonerthey'll all leave you alone and you can --" But her face suddnly turned blank; she had just spotted Ron andLavender, who were i ntertwined in the same armchair. "Well, good night, Harry" said Hermione, though it was only seveno'clock in the evening, and she left for the girl s' dormitory without anotherword. Harry went to bed comforting himself that there was only one more day oflessons to struggle through, plus Slughorn's party, after which he and Ronwould depart together for the B urrow. It now seemed impossible that Ronand Hermione would make up with each other before the holidays began, butperhaps, somehow, the break would give them time to calm down, thinkbetter of their behavior... But his hopes were not high, and they sank still lower after enduring aTransfiguration lesson with them both next day. They had just embarkedupon the immensely difficult topic of human transfiguration; working infront of mirrors , they were suposed to be changing the color of their owneyebrows. Hermione laughed unkindly at Ron's disastrous first attempt,during which he somehow managed to give himself a spectacular handlebarmustache; Ron retaliated by doing a cruel but accurate impression ofHermione jumping up and down in her seat every time Profe s sorMcGonagall asked a question, which Lavender and Parvati found deeplyamusing and which reduced Hermione to the verge of tears again. She racedout of the classroom on the bell, leaving half her things behind; Harry,deciding that her need was greater than Ron's just now, scooped up herremaining po ssessions and followed her. He finally tracked her down as she emerged from a girl's bathroom on thefloor below. She was accompanied by Luna Lovegood, who was patting hervaguely on the back. "Oh, hello, Harry , " said Luna . " D id you know one of your eyebrows isbright yellow?" "Hi, Luna. Hermione , you left your stuff..." He held out her books. "Oh, yes," said Hermione in a choked voice, taking her things and turningaway quickly to hide the fact she was wiping her eyes with her pencil case."Thank you , Harry. Well, I'd better get going..." And she hurried off, without ever giving Harry any time to offer words ofcomfort, though admittedly he could not think of any. "She's a bit upset , " said Luna. "I thought at first it was Moaning Myrtlein there, but it turned out to be Hermione. She said something about RonWeasley..." "Yeah, they've had a row," said Harry. "He says funny things sometimes, doesn't he?" said Luna as they set offdown the corridor together. "But he can be a bit unkind. I noticed that lastyear." " I s'pose , " said Harry. Luna was demonstrating her usual knack ofspeaking uncomfortable truths; he had never met anyone quite like her. "Sohave you had a good term?" "Oh, it's been al l right," said Luna. " A bit lonely without the D.A.Ginny's been nice, though. She stopped two boys in our Transfigurationclass calling me 'Loony' the other day --" "How would you like to come to S lughorn's party with me tonight?" The words were out of Harry's mouth before he could stop them; he heardhimself say them as though it were a stranger speaking. Luna turned her protuberant eyes to him in surprise. "Slughorn's party? With you?" "Yeah," said Harry, "We're supposed to bring guests, so I thought youmight like.. I mean..." He was keen to make his intentions perfectly clear. " Imean, just as friends, you know. But if you don't want to..." He was already half hoping that she didn't want to. "O h no, I'd love to go with you as friends!" said Luna, beaming as he hadnever seen her beam before. "Nobody's ever asked me to a party before, as afriend! Is that why you dyed your eyebrow, for the party? Should I dye minetoo?" "No" said Harry firmly, "That was a mistake. I'll get Hermione to put itright for me. So I'll meet you in the entrance hall at eight o'clock then . " "AHA!" screamed a voice from overhead and both of them jumped;unnoticed by either of them, they had just passed underneath Peeves, whowas hanging upside down from a chandelier and grinning maliciously atthem. "Potty asked Loony to go to the part y ! Potty lurves Loony! Pottyluuuuuurves Looooony!" And he zoomed away cackling and shrieking, "Potty loves Loony!" "Nice to keep these things private," said Harry. And sure enough, in notime at all the whole school seemed to know that Harry Potter was takingLuna Lovegood to Slughorn's party. "You could've taken anyone!" said Ron in disbelief over dinner. "Anyone!And you chose Loony Lovegood?" "Don't call her that, Ron!" snapped Ginny, pausing behind Harry on herway to join friends. "I'm really glad you're taking her Harry, she's soexcited." And she moved on down the table to sit with Dean. Harry tried to feelpleased that Ginny was glad he was taking Luna to the party but could notquite manage it. A long way along the table Hermione was sitting alone,playing with her stew. Harry noticed Ron looking at her furtively. "You could say sorry , " suggested Harry bluntly. "What , and get attacked by another flock of canaries?" muttered Ron. "What did you have to imitate her for?" "She laughed at my mustache!" "So did I, it was the stupidest thing I've ever seen." But Ron did not seem to have he a rd; Lavender had just arrived withParvati. Squeezing herself in between Harry and Ron, Lavender flung herarms around Ron's neck. "Hi, Harry," said Parvati who, like Harry, looked faintly embarrassed andbored by the behavior of their two friends. "Hi," said Harry, "How're you? You're staying at Hogwarts, then? I heardyour parents wanted you to leave." "I managed to talk them out o f it for the time being," said Parvati. "ThatKatie thing really freaked them out, but as there hasn't been anything since...Oh, hi, Hermione!" Parvati positively beamed. Harry could tell that she was feeling guilty forhaving laughed at Hermione in Transfiguration. He looked around and sawthat Hermione was beaming back, if possible even more brightly. Girls werevery strange sometimes. "Hi, Parvati!" said Hermione, ignoring Ron and Lavender completely."Are you going to Slughorn's party tonight?" "No invite," said Parvati gloomily. "I'd love to go, though, it sounds likeit's going to be really good... You're going, aren't you?" "Yes, I'm meeting Cormac at eight, and we're -" There was a noise like a plunger being withdrawn from a blocked sink ,and Ron surfaced. Hermione acted as though she had not seen or heardanything. "- we're going up to the party together." "Cormac?" said Parvati. "Cormac McLaggen, you mean?" "That's right," said Hermione sweetly. "The one who *almost*" - she puta great deal of emphasis on the word - "bec a me Gryffindor Keeper." "Are you going out with him, then?" asked Parvati, wide-eyed. "Oh - yes - didn't you know?" said Harmione, with a most un-Hermione-ish giggle. "No!" said Parvati, looking positively agog at thi s piece of gossip. "Wow, you like your Quidditch players, don't you? First Krum, then McLaggen." "I like *really good* Quidditch players," Hermione corrected her, stillsmiling. "Well, see you... Got to go and get ready for the party..." She left. At once Lavender and Parvati put their heads together to discussthis new development, with everything they had ever heard aboutMcLaggen, and all they had ever guessed about Hermione. Ron lookedstrangely blank and said nothing. Harry was left to ponder in silence thedepths to which girls would sink to get revenge. When he arrived in the entrance hall at eight o'clock that night, he foundan unusually large number of girls lurking there, all of whom seemed to bestaring at him resentfully as he approached Luna. She was wearing a set ofspangled silver robes that were attracting a certain amount of giggles fromthe onlookers, but otherwise she looked quite nice. Harry was glad, in anycase, that she had left off her radish earrings, her butterbeer cork necklace,and her Spectrespecs. "Hi," he said. "Shall we get going then?" "Oh yes," she said happily. "Where is the party?" "Slughorn's office," said Harry, leading her up the marble staircase awayfrom all the staring and muttering. "Did you hear, there's supposed to be avampire coming?" "Rufus Scrimgeour?" asked Luna. "I - what?" said Harry, disconcerted. "You mean the Minister of Magic?" "Yes, he's a vampire," said Luna matter-of-factly. "Father wrote a verylong article about it when Scrimgeour first took over from Cornelius Fudge,but he was forced not to publish by somebody from the Ministry. Obviously,they didn't want the truth to get out!" Harry, who thought it most unlikely that Rufus Scrimgeour was avampire, but who was used to Luna repeating her father's bizarre views asthough they were fact, did not reply; they were already approachingSlughorn's office and the sounds of laughter, music, and loud conversationwere growing louder with every step they took. Whether it had been built that way, or because he had used magicaltrickery to make it so, Slughorn's office was much larger than the usualteacher's study. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald,crimson , and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all insidea vast tent. The room was crowded and stuffy and bathed in the red light castby an ornate golden lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling in whichreal fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light. Loud singingaccompanied by what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner; ahaze of pipe smoke hung over several elderly warlocks deep in conversation,and a number of house-elves were negotiating their way squeakily throughthe forest of knees, obscured by the heavy silver platters of food they werebearing, so that they looked like little roving tables. "Harry, m'boy!" boomed Slughorn, almost as soon as Harry and Luna hadsqueezed in through the door. "Come in, come in, so many people I'd likeyou to meet!" Slughorn was wearing a tasseled velvet hat to match his smoking jacket.Gripping Harry's arm so tightly he might have been hoping to Disapparatewith him, Slughorn led him purposefully into the party; Harry seized Luna'shand and dragged her along with him. "Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, authorof ' Blood Brothers: My L ife Amongst the Vampires' - and, of course, hisfriend Sanguini." Worple, who was a small, stout, bespectacled man, grabbed Harry's handand shook it enthusiastically; the vampire Sanguini, who was tall andemaciated with dark shadows under his eyes, merely nodded. He lookedrather bored. A gaggle of girls was standing close to him, looking curiousand excited. "Harry Potter, I am simply delighted!" said Worple, peeringshortsightedly up into Harry's face. "I was saying to Professor Slughorn onlythe other day, 'Where is the biography of Harry Potter for which we have allbeen waiting?'" "Er," said Harry, "were you?" "Just as modest as Horace described!" said Worple. "But seri-ously" --his manner changed; it became suddenly businesslike -- "I would bedelighted to write it myself-- people are craving to know more about you,dear boy, craving! If you were prepared to grant me a few interviews, say infour- or five-hour sessions, why, we could have the book finished withinmonths. And all with very little effort on your part, I assure you -- askSanguini here if it isn't quite -- Sanguini, stay here!" added Worple,suddenly stern, for the vampire had been edging toward the nearby group ofgirls, a rather hungry look in his eye. "Here, have a pasty," said Worple,seizing one from a passing elf and stuffing it into Sanguini's hand beforeturning his attention back to Harry. "My dear boy, the gold you could make,you have no idea --" "I'm definitely not interested," said Harry firmly, "and I've just seen afriend of mine, sorry." He pulled Luna after him into the crowd; he hadindeed just seen a long mane of brown hair disappear between what lookedlike two members of the Weird Sisters. "Hermione! Hermione !" "Harry! There you are, thank goodness! Hi, Luna !" "What's happened to you?" asked Harry, for Hermione looked distinctlydisheveled, rather as though she had just fought her way out of a thicket ofDevil's Snare. "Oh, I've just escaped -- I mean, I've just left Cormac," she said. "Underthe mistletoe," she added in explanation, as Harry continued to lookquestioningly at her. "Serves you right for coming with him," he told her severely. "I thoughthe'd annoy Ron most," said Hermione dispassion-ately. "I debated for awhile about Zacharias Smith, but I thought, on the whole --" "You considered Smith?" said Harry, revoked. "Yes, I did, and I'm starting to wish I'd chosen him, McLaggen makesGrawp look a gentleman. Let's go this way, we'll be able to see him coming,he's so tall. . . ." The three of them made their way over to the other side ofthe room, scooping up goblets of mead on the way, realizing too late thatProfessor Trelawney was standing there alone. "Hello," said Luna politely to Professor Trelawney. "Good evening, my dear," said Professor Trelawney, focusing upon Lunawith some difficulty. Harry could smell cooking sherry again. "I haven't seenyou in my classes lately. .." "No, I've got Firenze this year," said Luna. "Oh, of course," said Professor Trelawney with an angry, drunken titter."Or Dobbin, as I prefer to think of him. You would have thought, would younot, that now I am returned to the school Professor Dumbledore might havegot rid of the horse? But no ... we share classes. . . . It's an insult, frankly, aninsult. Do you know. . ." Professor Trelawney seemed too tipsy to haverecognized Harry. Under cover of her furious criticisms of Firenze, Harry drew closer toHermione and said, "Let ' s get something straight. Are you planning to tellRon that you interfered at Keeper tryouts?" Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Do you really think I'd stoop that low?" Harry looked at her shrewdly. "Hermione, if you can ask 0111 McLaggen--" "There's a difference," said Hermione with dignity. "I've got no plans totell Ron anything about what might, or might not, have happened at Keepertryouts." "Good," said Harry fervently. "Because he'll just fall apart again, and we'lllose the next match --" "Quidditch!" said Hermione angrily. "Is that all boys care about? Cormachasn't asked me one single question about myself, no, I've just been treatedto 'A Hundred Great Saves Made by Cormac McLaggen' nonstop ever since-- oh no, here he comes!" She moved so fast it was as though she hadDisapparated; one moment she was there, the next, she had squeezedbetween two guffawing witches and vanished. "Seen Hermione?" asked McLaggen, forcing his way through the throng aminute later. "No, sorry," said Harry, and he turned quickly to join in Luna'sconversation, forgetting for a split second to whom she was talking. "Harry Potter!" said Professor Trelawney in deep, vibrant tones, noticinghim for the first time. "Oh, hello," said Harry unenthusiastically. "My dear boy!" she said in a very carrying whisper. "The rumors! Thestories! 'The Chosen One'! Of course, I have known for a very long time. . . .The omens were never good, Harry. . . But why have you not returned toDivination? For you, of all people, the subject is of the utmost importance!" "Ah, Sybi l l, we all think our subject's most important!" said a loud voice,and Slughorn appeared at Professor Trelawney s other side, his face veryred, his velvet hat a little askew, a glass of mead in one hand and anenormous mince pie in the other. "But I don't t hink I've ever known such anatural at Potions!" said Slughorn, re-garding Harry with a fond, ifbloodshot, eye. "Instinctive, you know -- like his mother! I've only evertaught a few with this kind of ability, I can tell you that, Sybi l l -- why evenSeverus --" And to Harry's horror, Slughorn threw out an arm and seemedto scoop Snape out of thin air toward them. "Stop skulking and come andjoin us, Severus!" hiccuped Slughorn happily. "I was just talking aboutHarry's exceptional po-tion-making! Some credit must go to you, of course,you taught him for five years!" Trapped, with Slughorns arm around his shoulders, Snape looked downhis hooked nose at Harry, his black eyes narrowed. "Funny, I never had theimpression that I managed to teach Potter anything at all." "Well, then, it's natural ability!" shouted Slughorn. "You should have seenwhat he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death -- never had astudent produce finer on a first attempt, I don't think even you, Severus --" "Really?" said Snape quietly, his eyes still boring into Harry, who felt acertain disquiet. The last thing he wanted was for Snape to start investigatingthe source of his newfound brilliance at Potions. "Remind me what other subjects you're taking, Harry?" asked Slughorn . "Defense Against the D ark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration , Herbology..." "All the subjects required, in short, for an Auror ," said Snap e with thefaintest sneer. "Yeah, well, that's what I'd like to do," said Harry defiantly. "And a great one you'll make too!" boomed Slughorn. "I don't think you should be an Auror, Harry," said Luna unex pectedly.Everybody looked at her. "The Aurors are part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, Ithought everyone knew that. They're planning to bring down the Ministry ofMagic from within using a c om bination of Dark Magic and gum disease." Harry inhaled half his mead up his nose as he started to lau gh. Really, ithad been worth bringing Luna just for this. Emerging, from his goblet,coughing, sopping wet but still grinning, he saw something calculated toraise his spirits even higher: Draco Malf o y being dragged by the ear towardthem by Argus Filch. "Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, his jowls aquiver and the maniacallight of mischief-detection in his bulging eyes, "I discovered this boy lurkingin an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and tohave been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?" Malfoy pulled himself free of Filchs grip, looking furious. "All right, Iwasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gate crash, happy?" "No, I'm not!" said Filch, a statement at complete odds with the glee onhis face. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headma ster say thatnighttime prowling ' s out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?" "That's all right, Argus, that's all right," said Slughorn, waving it 1.1 nd."It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party . Just thisonce, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay , Draco. Fil ich's expression of outraged disappointment was perfectly pre di c table; but why, Harry wondered, watching him, did Malfoy look almostequally unhappy? And why was Snape looking at Mal-foy as though bothangry and . . . was it p ossible? ... a lit tl afraid? But almost before Harry hadregistered what he had seen, Filch had turned and shuffled away, mutteringunder his breath; Malfoy h ad composed his face into a smile and wasthanking Slughorn for his generosity, and Snape's face was smoothlyinscrutable again. "It's nothing, nothing," said Slughorn, waving away Malfoy's t hanks. "Idid know your grandfather, after all...." "He always spoke very highly of you, sir," said Malfoy quickly. "Said youwere the best potion-maker he'd ever known. ..." Harry stared at Malfoy. It was not the sucking-up that intrigued him; hehad watched Malfoy do that to Snape for a long time. It was the fact thatMalfoy did, after all, look a little ill. This was the first time he had seenMalfoy close up for ages; he now saw that Malfoy had dark shadows underhis eyes and a distinctly grayish tinge to his skin. "I'd like a word with you, Draco," said Snape suddenly. "Now , Severus," said Slughorn, hiccuping again, "it's Christ mas, do n'tbe too hard --" "I am his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or other-wise, tobe," said Snape curtly. "Follow me, Draco." They left, Snape leading the way, Malfoy looking resentful. Harry stoodthere for a moment, irresolute, then said, "I'll be back in a bit, Luna -- er --bathroom." "All right," she said cheerfully, and he thought he heard her, as he hurriedoff into the crowd, resume the subject of the Rotfang Conspiracy withProfessor Trelawney, who seemed sincerely in terested. It was easy, onceout of the party, to pull his Invisibility Cloak out of his pocket and throw itover himself, for the corridor was quite deserted. What was more difficultwas finding Snape and Malfoy. Harry ran down the corridor, the noise of hisfeet masked by the music and loud talk still issuing from Slughorn's officebehind him. Perhaps Snape had taken Malfoy to his office in the dungeons ...or perhaps he was escorting him back to the Slyt herin common room. . . .Harry pressed his ear against door after door as he dashed down the corridoruntil, with a great jolt of excitement, he crouched down to the keyhole of thelast classroom in the corridor and heard voices. " . . . cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled --" "I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?" "I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy a nd foolish.Already you are suspected of having a hand in it." "Who suspects me?" said Malfoy angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it,okay? That Bell girl must ' ve had an enemy no on e knows about -- don'tlook at me like that! I know what you're do-ing, I'm not stupid, but it won'twork -- I can stop you!" There was a pause and then Snape said quietly, "Ah . . . Aunt Bellatrix hasbeen teaching you Occlumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying toconceal from your master, Draco?" "I'm not trying to conceal anything from him, I just don't want you buttingin !" Harry pressed his ear still more closely against the keyhole. . . . Whathad happened to make Malfoy speak to Snape like this -- Snape, towardwhom he had always shown respect, even liking? "So that is why you have been avoiding me this term? You have fearedmy interference? You realize that, had anybody else failed to come to myoffice when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco --" "So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!" jeered Malfoy. There was another pause. Then Snape said, "You know perfectly well thatI do not wish to do either of those things ." "You'd better stop telling me to come to your office then!" "Listen to me," said Snape, his voice so low now that Harry had to pushhis ear very hard against the keyhole to hear. "I am trying to help you. Iswore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow,Draco --" "Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need yourprotection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it, I've got a plan andit's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!" "What is your plan ?" "It's none of your business !" " If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you ..." "I have all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!" "You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the ex-treme,wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup, these are elementarymistakes --" "I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them indetention!" "Keep your voice down!" spat Snape, for Malfoy ' s voice had risenexcitedly. "If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their DefenseAgainst the Dark Arts OWL this time around, they will need to work a littleharder than they are doing at pres --" "What does it matter?" said Malfoy. "Defense Against the Dark Arts --its all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need pro-tecting against theDark Arts --" "It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco!" said Snape. "Where do youthink I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Nowlisten to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, gettingyourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbeand Goyle --" "They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, betterpeople!" "Then why not confide in me, and I can --" "I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!" There was another pause, then Snape said coldly, "You are speaking like achild. I quite understand that your fathers capture and imprisonment hasupset you, but --" Harry had barely a second ' s warning; he heard Malfoy's footsteps on theother side of the door and flung himself out of the way just as it burst open .Malfoy was striding away down the corridor, past the open door ofSlughorns office, around the distant corner, and out of sight. Hardly daringto breathe, Harry remained crouched down as Snape emerged slowly fromthe classroom. His expression unfath-omable, he returned to the party. Harryremained on the floor, hid-den beneath the cloak, his mind racing. 2ff7e9595c
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