Snakes and Secrets

DRACO FINALLY SNAPS

Hermione Granger looked towards the end of the Slytherin table where Draco Malfoy was sitting alone reading a book. And not eating as usual. Was he trying to starve himself? … She told herself not to answer that question. But she was really sick of all the rumors she’d heard lately. Draco was tripped down the stairs by some Gryffindors. He was ‘accidentally’ locked in the Astronomy tower by Hufflepuff. Ravenclaws bespelled all his books to fly into the air whenever he touched them…

God was this some kind of open season for everyone Draco ever made fun of? He never actually hurt anyone! But he was getting beat up everyday. He deserved to be teased but…she glanced again at the large bruise at his collarbone. She had to feel some guilt. She could’ve convinced Ron to keep quiet.

Then she remembered the sneers and the mudblood comments the absolute ghastly insults and her resolve hardened. She wasn’t going to feel bad for Malfoy. She refused too. She was just going along with this plan for Seamus and Harry and everyone else, that’s all.

~*~

Draco sat there not eating and not reading either. What exactly was going to happen? He took a sip of orange juice. He probably was going to need his strength so he nibbled a bit of toast too. He was so surprised when Pansy sat next to him he nearly choked on his toast. Blaise and Theo slid across from him. “Hiya Draco” Theo chirped. Git always was a morning person. He gulped down some more juice.

“Since when have you guys joined the misfit group of bleeding heart liberals?” Theo winced. “Dray you have no idea how sorry I am to have laughed at you like that. It’s just that my dad was always saying that the Malfoy’s were a queer lot and to watch your back around them. I found it richly ironic that he was right about the queer part and that I was so scared about coming out to you that you were actually gay too and I…feel really bad.”
He finished lamely.

“...Theo do you know are a very weird person?” Theo smiled and knew he had been forgiven. “That’s what they say.”

“Would a certain Seamus Finnegan say that as well?”

“...How the Hell did you-”

He was cut short but the morning mail and stared at the front page of The Daily Prophet like it was the messenger of death.

And unfortunately it was.

~*~

The morning mail came and Hermione smiled at her letter from her parents. She noted however that Zabini didn’t get anymore Howlers. Ron paid the delivery owl and grabbed the newspaper. He took one look at the front page and choked on his pumpkin juice. Harry thumped him on the back. “Bloody Hell! Look at this! Malfoy’s an orphan!” Harry didn’t seem surprised but Hermione felt her resolve crumple.

She sneaked a glance at the Slytherin. She wasn’t the only one. People were whispering and pointing and she just knew that breakfast wasn’t going to end peacefully.

“Come on Ron, lets hear it” Seamus said fervently. Dean, Ginny, and Neville leaned in to hear. Ron read out loud from Rita Skeeter’s latest article.

NARCISSA MALFOY MURDERED?
By Rita Skeeter

While searching for Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, who had escaped from Azkaban earlier in the year, Auror’s found the grave of Narcissa Malfoy at one of their hidden cottages- which has been burnt to the ground.

The Forest Cottage was where sources say Mrs. Malfoy and her son spent the summer while Lucius was in prison. However Crime scene experts say that it must have been a tightly controlled magical fire for it to only burn the cabin and not the surrounding forest. The only question is who set the fire? Next to the ashes was a small gravesite with this inscription: “Here lies Narcissa Black, the best kind of Mother, with the biggest heart.” The year and date tells us that she died on August 28th of this year. The grave was built by hand suggesting that it was built was her underage 16 year old son Draco Malfoy.

Why he did not report the death is unknown. However the boy, once he has finished his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be moved to a foster home and be transferred to Durmstrang Wizardry Institute for Boys.

The boy will be taken in for trail considering his mother’s mysterious death this summer. Meanwhile the search for Lucius Malfoy continues on. See page 6 for more news on Death Eater sightings.

“Oh wow” Ginny breathed.

“I wasn’t expecting that” said Dean. Silence ensued.

Neville asked quietly “Do you really think she was murdered?” Ron snorted. “Oh she was murdered. By bloody Death Eaters that’s who. Harry said Mini Malfoy didn’t join so they probably did it to teach him a lesson on-“

They were interrupted by the loud booming voice of Smith

“Do you want to know what I think?” Hermione cursed in her head. When will we ever have a Normal breakfast? For just once? Half the students turned in their seats to watch Smith torment Draco.

Blaise materialized next to Zach while Theo and Pansy sat closer to Draco. “Really Smith? It’s not worth it. Don’t bother.” Smith laughed. “Well everyone wants to know! Why don’t we ask it?” Draco’s gave his book more attention than it needed. “Hey Queer! Who killed your mum? If you could even call her that. What did Mrs.Zabini say? That she was a whore?”

“Smith, stop!” Theo pleaded. Zach glared at him. “Careful there, one bad word to mummy and you and you’re friends are homeless. You better watch what you say to me.”

He gave Draco a sickly sweet smile.

“I don’t know why anyone who want to adopt you. Since well you’re a cock-jockey after all.” Draco clutched his book like it was the only thing keeping him together. “You’re going to die at that school. The giant meatheads are going to crush you and your pathetic little ass.” Then Smith threw back his head and laughed. “I figured it out. His mum wasn’t murdered! She killed herself because she didn’t want to have a mincer for a –“WHAM!

With a sickening thud Draco slammed his book into Smith’s nose and blood stained the floors of the great hall.

~*~

At the Staff table Severus Snape rose quickly and was stopped by a wave of a bony hand. “How can you expect me to stand here and watch my students start a riot? Watch while my Godson is tormented? You said they would sort it out! That it would die down you old senile fool!” he watched as silence lay around the students in thick blankets. No one moved.

Then someone screamed.

A Gryffindor 1st year’s curly brown hair had been turned a bright pink. People gaped as a 5th year Ravenclaw was also now a victim. Shrieks of laughter were heard as more and more people’s hair changed color. A 3rd year Slytherin pointed and shouted as Professor Snape’s oily dark hair was a bright pink. So was his face. Even his angry glare did nothing to stop the giggles or Minerva’s gentle teasing that made him flush even more.

Fascinated he watched as tuffs of pink spread everywhere until everyone in the school now had flamboyant pink hair. And then Severus didn’t care about being embarrassed at all because his godson was clutching the table, shoulders shaking. He was crying and laughing and Severus had never seen the boy look so happy. And he silently thanked the prankster and let a small little complacent smile be seen on his face.

Then his peace shattered.

~*~

Suddenly Draco was pushed off the bench and was sprawled on the floor. Just as quickly as he fell he was raised high in the air. Orders from the teachers were heard but Smith ignored them concentrating on lifting Draco as far as he could. Anyone touch Smith and Draco would fall to his death.

Draco wasn’t planning on it. Wand clutched in his hand he whispered a spell and listened to the arguments below him.

“Put him down Smith He’s my friend!”

Zach spat mockingly at Blaise. “If you were his friend you would’ve stopped him from slashing his wrists!” That stopped everyone. Blaise went pale. Pansy clutched his arm. And Ron felt the tiniest flash of guilt before getting over it. Harry just watched silently and regretted taking that last shot of Firewhiskey.

Smith smirked proud of himself. “That’s right! I caught the little freak cutting his wrists open! It was pathetic really. The Nancy boy-“

He was cut off when a loud bang thundered on the great hall doors. Smith’s spell wavered and Draco had a true moment of panic that he was going to fall and he came to the realization that he most certainly did not want to die.

The bang was heard again like a giant was knocking on the door asking for a cup of flour.

(Now, what exactly would people think if they found the pink haired Hogwarts students all crowded around a purple faced furious Hufflepuff levitating an extremely smug Slytherin?-

*Just another ordinary day at Hogwarts*

- After all; weirder things have happened.)

“Well?” Dumbledore’s voice rang out in the silence. “Someone open it”

Snape walked briskly towards the doors and threw them open. Draco’s Nimbus 2001 soared threw the air and before anyone could even look at Smith, Draco had mounted the broom and grabbed Zach by the back of his collar and lifted him into the air. They flew through the open doors out into the sunlight of the grounds, kids streaming out behind him and Smith screaming and clinging to his arm.

He however was not going to make a grand exit like the Weasely twins. Instead he just smiled and enjoyed his time being on a broom again. He also enjoyed the fact that the teachers did nothing to stop him. If he didn’t know any better he could’ve sworn Snape was smiling.

He knew he was. In fact he was grinning like a loon. And he laughed like a maniac as he flew low and slowly, as he dumped a screaming, cursing Smith into the lake.

Yes. Thought Hermione as she watched a laughing Draco fly away, Breakfast is certainly the most dramatic meal of the day.

Though at this point she didn't really mind.

*************************************
© Copyright; 2011, PantherStrike All Rights Reserved