More to Life

~+~

Chapter Ten - Confrontations and Flying Lessons

Harry was fine for most of the day, not thinking about what he had found out that day because he was so busy with homework and such, but as soon as head touched his pillow, he became restless.

After tossing and turning and debating about it for most of the night, Harry dragged himself out of his comfy bed to talk to (maybe even yell at) Severus. He felt a little pang of guilt at wanting to yell at the man that had saved his life a little over two years ago, but he hated things being kept from him. Harry didn't care if Severus found out he was in his office, he wanted someone to tell him the truth.

When Harry reached his Head of House's Office door, he banged on it loudly with the side of his closed fist.

Severus yanked the door open with a scowl ready to be aimed at whoever had disturbed him. It softened when he saw Harry. "Hello H-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry interrupted. He had meant to yell, but it turned out to be more of a whine.

Snape blinked. "About what?"

"You know about what," Harry said.

"I-"

"Voldemort," was all Harry said.

"Ah," Severus said slowly. "Maybe you'd better come in."

Harry didn't need prompting again. He walked into the room and kicked the door to behind him. He heard Severus mutter a silencing charm with his wand pointed at the door.

"Can I ask how you found out?" Severus asked, his tone a little demanding.

"... No," Harry finally said. "Because you'll most likely dock house points off me."

Severus sighed. "I can't say I didn't think you'd find out, but I'm sorry you had to find out the way you did."

Harry blinked. "You don't even know how I found out."

"I have a suspicion, and you saying I would dock house points just reinforces the idea."

Harry fiddled with his hands for a few moments. "I didn't want to have to look in your office, but you were acting so... I don't know... shifty all the time and with all the Death Eaters hanging around, I kind of had an idea that it was something to do with Voldemort... and me," Harry blurted out before he could stop himself. "Don't look at me like that," Harry said when he saw the frown Severus was giving him. "I already feel guilt enough for looking at that letter yester-" he stopped speaking.

"What letter?" Severus said dangerously quiet.

"You know very well what letter," Harry said with a defeated sigh. "I didn't want to!" he said to defend himself, "but I know the Death Eaters are after me and I think I have to right to know why!"

Severus sighed this time. "Of course you do."

"Since no one was going to tell me why Voldemort was, is, after me, I went to the library yesterday and looked at my family tree," Harry said in a conversational tone. "Do you know I have Slytherin blood?"

Severus looked gob smacked.

Harry looked at him. "You didn't know?"

Severus shook his head. "Your Mother and Father were good Aurors. Everyone always thought they were killed for that reason and he only tried to kill you because you were there."

"Who told you that?" Harry asked.

"No one told me anything, it was just what was assumed."

"There are only two people with Slytherin blood alive now," Harry said quietly. "Me and Tom. Everyone else who had Slytherin blood was killed in the last war, before Voldemort disappeared."

"I suppose this makes sense," Severus mused.

"He can't stand to share, can he?" Harry said sardonically.

The Potions Master chuckled a little. "I suppose he can't."

The two sat in silence for a long while. Harry fiddled with the hem of his robes again, thinking about what would happen with the Death Eaters in the coming months.

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked quietly.

Severus looked surprised for a few moments. "About Halloween?" Harry just nodded. "I can't very well give you to them, can I?"

"I know, but-" Harry said.

"Leave the worrying to me," Severus interrupted.

"But I-"

"Harry."

Harry sighed. "Yes Sir." He couldn't help but worry about the person who had acted as his guardian for the last two years, even if he was at school most of the time. He knew if Snape didn't take the warning, he'd be a target for the Death Eaters for being a traitor. "But..." Harry tried one more time.

"I'll be fine Harry. You've haven't got much faith in me, have you?" Severus asked lightly.

Harry blushed. "I-"

"I'm teasing, Harry."

"I knew that," Harry mumbled. "I came here to yell at you, but I don't seem to be doing."

"You did a little yelling if that makes you feel better," Severus said amusedly.

Harry smiled a little. "Perhaps I could go and yell at the Headmaster. Knowing him, he'd probably take it all with a smile and a twinkle in his eye... Ok, now I've gone off that idea."

"Go and get ready for class, Harry."

"Yes Sir."

*~*~*

The Slytherins had Defence Against the Dark Arts that morning. At least Professor Lockhart had stopped teaching them about himself and had moved on to Dark creatures. Although he was teaching more about how he killed the creature than about the creature itself.

Harry yawned, covering his mouth, as Lockhart launched into a new adventure of his.

"Now, can anyone tell me what a Lethifold is?" Lockhart asked.

Blaise scoffed slightly. "There's no way he's seen a Lethifold. He'd be running in the opposite direction if he did."

Harry covered his mouth again to hide his grin.

Draco shook his head lightly and put his hand up.

"Yes, Mr Malfoy?" Professor Lockhart asked.

"A Lethifold is a beast which resembles a black cloak. It attacks sleeping humans, smothers them and digests them leaving nothing left." Draco answered.

"Very good Mr Malfoy, five points to Slytherin." Lockhart walked around from behind his desk and began to walk up the aisle between the tables. "Lethifolds only live in the tropics, so there's absolutely no chance of seeing one anywhere near Hogwarts." He leaned against Pansy Parkinson's table. The girl gave the Professor a look of disgust and edged away from him. "I was in the Amazon when I saw one..."

"And I ran away from it like a screaming little girl," Blaise whispered in a put on Lockhart voice.

Harry coughed to cover his laughter. Professor Lockhart looked over at him. "Sorry Professor," Harry apologised, laughter still caught in his voice, "just a little tickle in my throat."

Lockhart waved a hand in dismissal. "Now where was I? Ah yes, I was in the Amazon when a Lethifold crept up on me and..."

"Started doing a Waltz with the nearest tree," Draco muttered under his breath.

Harry's shoulders shook his silent laughter.

"I turned to face it and cast the only curse that can kill these creatures. The curse drove it away from me and it turned heel and fled..."

"More like that's what he did," Harry whispered to Draco.

The blonde nodded in mocking sorrow. "You'd think he'd be able to take on a Lethifold, being the DADA Professor and all."

"What was the curse you used, Sir?" Blaise asked with an odd gleam in his eye.

Everyone's eyes turned to the Professor, who looked dumbfound for a few seconds and then put on his huge smile. "The curse isn't taught while at least seventh year."

"So," Draco piped up, "doesn't mean we can't know what it is now."

"Well..." Professor Lockhart said reluctantly.

"It'll give us so much more knowledge for when we get to seventh year," Harry added.

Professor Lockhart stalled for a few minutes. "Well, I shouldn't really be telling you this, but the charm is..." He paused for a good five minutes, his eyes travelling around the classroom. "The Charm is..." He paused again. "Oh will you look at the time, it's the end of the lesson."

Harry fought down a laugh.

"You don't know it, do you Sir?" a girl from Slytherin, whose name was Tracey Nott, at least Harry thought it was.

Lockhart put on a fake laugh. "Don't know? Of course I know. We'll leave it for next lesson."

"So he can look it up and tell us," Draco muttered. "Honestly, I'm beginning to doubt the Headmaster's sanity."

Harry gave Draco an odd look. "We already do doubt the Headmaster's sanity."

Draco shrugged. "Good point."

Lockhart then dismissed the class as he walked into his office.

Blaise hopped on the spot for a few moments when he rose from his chair. "Flying lesson next!" he said gleefully.

Pansy, who was stood off to one side of the boys, sneered. "Who cares about flying lessons?"

Millicent's head appeared over Pansy's shoulder. With a wink at the boys she said, "You just don't want to mess your hair up."

Pansy huffed. "It's damp out. It'll make my hair go all frizzy."

Harry sniggered. "Now that's something I'll look forward to seeing. 'Pansy Parkinson: the human niffler."

Millicent covered her grin with her hand. Draco turned his back on Pansy as his shoulders started shaking in silent laughter. Blaise imagined Pansy with a niffler on her head and cracked up laughing, not being able to hold it in anymore. Pansy glared at Harry and walked off.

Millicent moved her hand away from her mouth. "Looks like you made yourself an enemy Harry."

Harry shrugged. "She hates me anyway, what does it matter?"

Millicent tapped her chin with her index finger. "Good point." She then wagged the same finger at Harry. "Don't think I'll come rescue you from her next time."

Harry scoffed. "As if she could even lay a finger on me..."

"She might be able to get a good slap in," Blaise said after he had stopped himself from laughing.

"Or she might suffocate you with all that frizzy hair," Draco said before bursting out laughing himself. Blaise sniggered again.

The troupe of Slytherin slowly made their way outside to the courtyard, where the flying lessons were taking place. Already laid out on the ground were twenty or so broomsticks. Most of the Gryffindors seemed to already be there, crowded around in a huge group. Harry could see that Malkin was in the centre of the circle, laughing loudly. The plump boy sneered in Harry's direction. Harry just scowled back.

"Ok first-years," said Madam Hooch, who was stood by the side of the broomsticks. Her gaze landed on each individual student before she spoke again. "Welcome to your first flying lesson. Now everyone stand next to a broom. Come along now."

Harry scrambled to find a broom furthest away from the teacher. Draco stood next to him. Malkin was stood over the broom opposite Harry with a huge smirk on his face. Harry raised an eye brow at the boy, who just lifted his hand up and waved a little mocking wave in response. Harry look at Draco, who was looking at Malkin with a puzzled look on his face.

"What the hell is he up to?" Draco whispered to his friend.

"No idea, but I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough," Harry responded.

"Right, everyone ready? No Longbottom, your right handed aren't you?" Madam Hooch paused to wait for a nod. "Stand on the left side of your broom then." She blew her whistle to quieten the class down. "When you are ready, stick your hand over your broom and shout 'up'."

Harry put his right hand over the old school broom and shouted, "Up!" The broomstick jumped straight into his hand with an inaudible snap. He had done that so many times since he had first flown on a broomstick two years ago it was almost second nature to him now.

"Now, mount your broom and push hard off the ground, lean forward a little, then touch back down," Madam Hooch told the class.

As she did so, Neville Longbottom's broom shot off the ground with him mounted on it. He hovered in the air for about ten seconds before the broom jerked slightly, making Neville lose his grip and fall to the floor.

Draco smirked at the fallen boy. "The broomstick didn't like him, did it?"

"Leave Neville alone, Malfoy!" Ron Weasley shouted. "He hasn't done anything to you."

During this time, Madam Hooch had gone over to Neville and helped him up. "Nobody is to even touch a broom while I take Longbottom to the Hospital Wing. If you do, you'll be out of this school faster than you can say 'Golden Snitch'." With that she took off towards the castle, all but dragging Neville with her.

"Can I pick on you then?" Draco said mockingly after Madam Hooch had left hearing range. "You did lunge for me after the Welcoming Feast after all."

Weasley growled and took a step forward, only to be stopped by Malkin.

"He's only trying to bait you, Ron," Malkin said in a low voice. "We'll get them all back eventually."

"What you gonna do? Sit on us?" Blaise asked.

Draco sniggered. "I bet you could sit on all three of us at the same time," he said gesturing towards himself, Blaise and Harry.

Malkin ignored him and turned to look at Harry. "Your Death Eaters still hanging around then?"

"Since when have they ever been my Death Eaters?" Harry said. "I haven't even left the school since we got her three weeks ago for one. How can I be controlling them. Just goes to show Gryffindors have no logic."

"Take that back, you slimy snake!" Malkin shouted, taking a step forward, shaking his fist.

"Why take back what's true?" Harry said to taunt him. Malkin was really beginning to get on his nerves.

Malkin drew his wand from underneath his robes and pointed it at Harry. "I'll make you pay for that, Rictusempra!" A shower of purple sparks emerged from the tip of his wand. He shook his wand and glared at it for not doing the second year spell correctly.

Harry grinned. "Not much of a wizard, are you Malkin?"

Malkin growled, threw his wand on the ground, and leapt at Harry. Harry, who hadn't anticipated the attack, didn't move as the plump boy's fist connected with his chin. Harry landed on the floor on his back.

Draco pulled his wand out. "Rictusempra!" The spell worked for him and Malkin keeled over, laughing.

Harry sat up and rubbed his jaw, glaring at the Gryffindor. "That's how it's done Malkin," he couldn't resist retorting.

Draco flicked his wand to release Malkin from the spell when he saw Madam Hooch walking back towards the group. "Malkin hit Harry, Madam Hooch," he said quickly before anyone one else could say what happened. Blaise silently laughed at the blonde's quick thinking.

Madam Hooch looked at Malkin, who was easing himself off the floor, then at Harry, who was still sat rubbing his jaw. "Thirty points from Gryffindor, Mr Malkin and detention with Filch tomorrow night," she said in a stern voice.

"But-"

"Be quiet Mr Malkin, unless you want to be in more trouble?"

"No Ma'am," Malkin said dejectedly.

The class was soon dismissed after that. The Slytherin's walked slowly back towards the castle. Harry could feel Malkin glaring holes in his back, but he ignored the Gryffindor. Millicent dropped into step next to the dark haired boy.

"You alright, Harry?" she asked.

"My jaw smarts," he said in a low voice.

"Stop a minute," she asked, so he did. She brought out her wand and pointed it at Harry's chin. "Curatio subtusus." The red mark, which would have become a bruise if she had left it, faded away.

Harry smiled as the pain disappeared. "Thanks. Where did you learn that?"

Millicent waved a hand dismissingly. "My mum was always using it on me at home; I just picked it up off her. I can be clumsy sometimes," she said with a smile.

"That's kind of useful," Harry told her.

"You'll probably need to use it a lot around Malkin, since he's crap at spells."

Harry laughed. "You'll have to teach it me."

Millicent smiled then took off after Pansy, leaving Draco to catch up with his friend. "Where were you this morning?" he asked. "You weren't in bed when I got up."

"I went to talk to Sev," Harry told him, raking a hand through his hair. "About yesterday."

Draco's eyes widened. "You told him we knew?"

"I told him that I knew. I didn't mention you at all."

The blonde Slytherin relaxed. "What did he say then?"

"He just told me not to worry about it," Harry said somewhat bitterly. "I mean how can I not worry about it? It's me they're after!" He looked around to check no one had heard him raise his voice. No one had. "I'm worried about Sev. He's supposed to be a Death Eater. If he doesn't bring me to them on Halloween, they're going to know he's a traitor!"

Draco put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about Severus. He won't die if he doesn't want to."

"That's reassuring, thank Draco," Harry said sarcastically.

"Look, the Death Eaters can't get in Hogwarts, can they? Don't worry about it," Draco said a little nervously, obviously unsure of this himself.

Harry sighed, picking up on his friend's hesitance. He smiled. "Thanks Draco."

Maybe he should just let Snape worry about it. It wasn't as if Severus would put him in danger on purpose. In fact, he'd do anything to keep him out of danger. Harry sighed once more. There was nothing he could do until Halloween anyway, and all he could do on Halloween was keep out of the way. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was no use against full grown adult wizards. He didn't know half as many spells as they did. As he had heard once before, what will come, will come, there was no use worrying until it happened.

~+~

Curatio means healing and subtusus means somewhat bruised, I think. Poor Harry, getting punched like that. Malkin strikes as being someone who would result to physical violence instead of spells being a large boy and all.

About the Lethifold, I know it might be a little weird for first years to learn about Lethifold's, but I wanted a scary kind of creature so I could mock Lockhart some more. *grins*

Leatrix Malfoy ~ 8^th November 2003