The Day Draco Disappeared

He paced back and forth in front of the mirror like a tiger paces around in a locked cage. He looked at the golden rim with its intricate designs, but he wasn't really seeing it. He heard the swish of his cloak, and he felt the cold dungeon floor beneath his feet. But nothing registered in his mind. He was too busy counting the reasons why it would be wasting his time if he stopped pacing and went downstairs.

I would definitely see Pansy. I'll bet she's waiting at the bottom of the steps for me right now, just like the way a vulture stalks its prey before they eat it. Hell, she even kind of resembles a vulture. Ugly things they are. And Crabbe and Goyle...well I don't feel like being down there for six months trying to teach them the basics of Potions. They'll be just as dumb when we're done too because they won't have remembered a thing! Seeing them all together right now would be too much. I'd rather duel one of those fire breathing dragons they used in the TriWizard Tournament with a broken wand then go downstairs.

"Oh Malfoy, we're waiting!" Pansy Parkinson called up the steps in a sing-song voice. Her irritation with Draco was starting to show through.

Is that supposed to make her sound attractive, he wondered. I'd rather go down there if it were Harry Potter instead of her. Hell, Weasley the red haired bozo would be better. Of course, if it were The Boy Who Should Have Died Several Times or Weasel I wouldn't feel as bad when I hex them. But I can't do it to Pansy...she's a girl. I must be strong. I can't let this woman...thing intimidate me to go down there. Why? Because I'm a Malfoy! Malfoys have to be strong and take it in stride because women flock to us. Women to Malfoys are like jokesters to Zonko's. But I doubt Father ever had to deal with someone as horrid as Pansy.

Pansy had been following him around for weeks. She always knew where he was, waiting behind every corner to follow him to class or ask to keep something he touched. She even offered to carry his spell books once! I thought only men offered to do that...I knew there was something strange about her! But she can't be. Crabbe told me all about how she really was a girl. Draco shuddered, vowing never to think about Crabbe and Pansy together again.

"Draco!" Pansy screamed his name up the steps.

He winced when he heard the shrillness in her voice and picked up his potions books. Better get down there before she gets really mad and sits on me. Or worse, breathes on me!

He trudged downstairs figuring out a way to keep their study group short. The minute Pansy saw Draco she became all smiles. She latched onto his arm, almost knocking his books down, and dragged him over to the loveseat.

Jeez, she's worse than that crazy octopus in the lake. She has a grip that could rival his.

"I had Goyle move the loveseat closer to the fireplace so we could keep cozy while we study." Pansy sat down and pulled Draco close to her, which made him wince inside.

Studying and getting cozy with Pansy? Not exactly what I would call a dream come true...more like my worst nightmare!

As Pansy tried to discuss Potions with Goyle, Draco flipped through an old spell book called Great Potions and Hexes of the 15th Century. He borrowed it from the library to get more information for his upcoming test. He stopped on a worn, yellowed page and his mind started churning. Could this be it? The solution to all his problems?

He looked up at Pansy, then gazed down at the page before him. It was a potion for bewitching your admirers to turn their gaze on someone else. What a brilliant idea. Make Pansy not fancy and lust after me anymore? This is exactly what I've been needing...

A satisfied grin flickered across his face, and he rose off the loveseat, claiming a headache. Though Pansy offered to rub out the tension, he sprinted up the stairs saying sleep would help him best.

He threw himself onto his bed and pulled the curtains shut. Don't want Crabbe or Goyle coming up here asking me what I'm doing. They don't have enough brains put together to know when to keep their mouths shut. As his eye moved down the list of needed ingredients Draco knew it would be a challenging potion. But he was willing to try it.

3 Weeks Later

Draco threw in a bit more wormleaves in the brewing cauldron and gave it a vigorous stir. Pansy has been a nightmare these past few weeks. I don't know how much more of this I can take...but soon she'll be out of my hair for good. Draco was almost giddy with joy. He gave the potion one last stir, then placed some in a small vial. He skimmed the ingredients making sure he didn't miss anything, then quickly swallowed a gulp. As his eye roamed the book one last time, he noticed a few lines near the bottom that he skipped over.

He read it silently, then aloud so he could fully comprehend what he just did to himself.

"To prove you are worthy of having your admirers cast away, you must fall in love with another person that is the opposite of everything you are. Your quest will be a silent one as you are hidden among the shadows."

Silent quest? Hidden in the shadows? What the hell kind of maniac poet wrote that? Probably just trying to scare me, since of course half these ingredients I had to "borrow". And fall in love with someone? Ha! I'm already in love...with my charming self of course. He chuckled to himself, then it quickly turned to a scream. As his hand lay on the book he could see the words clearly through himself.

Draco dropped the vial in shock and it shattered everywhere. He shuffled back against the wall walking over shards of glass. Draco leaned back and rested his head against the wall feeling the coolness of the dungeon wall. What's happening? Am I dead? Did I die from some sort of poisoning? I'm too beautiful to die at this young of age! How can this happen to me? I must be cursed. First Pansy is in love with me, and now I get into this whole mess. Oh what am I going to do?

Just then, his chain of jumbled thoughts was broken as Mrs. Norris poked her head in the door. Draco knew it was the end. Any minute Filch would be right behind his stinkin' little cat poking his head through the doorway too. What am I going to do? Draco worried about what would happen when Filch finds him with stolen ingredients. What should I do before he gets here? Hide! But where? And I better take the book. That way, if Filch doesn't find me they have no way of tracing this back to me. Should I grab some of these ingredients too? Uh...only the ones that I borrowed from Professor Snape's cabinets. Draco hurriedly picked up the book and stuffed some ingredients in his robe. He ran to the cabinet that was partially hidden in the darkness in the back of the room. He threw himself in there and shut the door just as Filch walked in.

Filch surveyed the entire room, the he focused on the spot where Draco had been working. He took in the broken vial which lay crunched up and scattered all over the floor, the brewing cauldron which was left on that threatened to boil over, and the glass jars labeled in Snape's handwriting. Filch took it all in. Then he stalked over to the cabinet and flung the doors wide open. As Filch's gaze penetrated through Draco he started to tell his side of the story before he could be severely punished.

"You see Filch, it's completely different from what it looks like. It all started with Pansy Parkinson, but no she isn't to blame here. I was...I was merely.." He trailed off and didn't finish his explanation. He had no need to. Filch couldn't see Draco. To him, the cabinet was empty. Filch walked back to the door and surveyed the room one last time.

"Come Mrs. Norris, we better go talk to Snape about all of this. Too bad the culprit already left, we'll get them next time." Filch's voice got softer as he walked away down to Snape's private room.

Draco jumped out of the cabinet and threw up his hand in triumph. He completely forgot about what scared him earlier. I just outsmarted Filch! Who cares about how I did it? I can't believe he didn't see me. The old bloke must really need glasses. Oh, I can't wait to tell Crabbe and Goyle about how I narrowly escaped Filch and a detention.

He was so joyous that he walked right down the corridor completely forgetting it was after hours. It came back to him once he heard Filch's voice accompanied by Snape's. Even though Filch hadn't caught him in that dingy closet, they would surely catch him out here in the hall. Draco looked around but there was no place to hide.

"So you didn't catch the little thief, Filch?"

"No Professor Snape, I didn't. And he's not a little thief. They must have taken at least ten different elements from your private cupboard."

"Yes, they have. I hadn't noticed until a few days ago, when I was looking for some unicorn hairs." As Snape kept discussing the alarming burglary with Filch, they passed right by Draco without stopping. And to Draco's horror, Snape passed through him rather than around him. Draco knew this couldn't be coincidence. Filch didn't see him in the cabinet. Neither of the men saw him in the hall. Most alarming of all was that Snape had just walked through him. It's as though I'm not here. They can't see or hear me. I think that cursed spell just made me invisible. How was he going to get out of this mess?