Nox

Chapter 8 - Midnight Meetings

Defense Against The Dark Arts was one of Draco's least favorite classes. The main problem was that no one wanted to be the DADA Professor, so they were stuck with daft people like that awful Lockhart. Well, maybe there is someone who wants the position - Professor Snape. But Draco had to admit to himself that maybe that was a bad idea. As much as he liked Professor Snape, for his favouritism, and for torturing Potter, he knew that having Snape as the DADA teacher wouldn't do well, even for himself.

If there was one Defense teacher that Draco actually liked it was that werewolf bloke, Lupin. He was a good teacher, so far was clear. Something about him was just likeable, even if he did like Potter too much.

Now, that Benton bloke, he wasn't too bad. Draco thought he had the right idea, not teaching the girls. But then, for some unknown reason he had a change of heart, and now the girls were also being taught properly. Though, when Benton talked to the girls he used a voice one would use talking to a four year old, and generally treating them like highly retarded people. Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson were constantly glaring at him daggers. Draco had so much fun teasing them.

Right now Benton was talking to the class, something about defensive charms. Draco stopped paying attention a while ago. He should probably listen.

"--So you should keep an eye on your opponent all the time. Does anyone have any questions? Alright, than we'll start to practice, I want you all to pair up and use the shield charm each in his turn while the other throws curses."

He was immediately snatched by Pansy Parkinson.

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked her, pointing his wand at her.

"It's a shield charm. I'll do it first, you just shoot curses at me," Pansy said.

She said the incantation, and Draco thought he saw blue light surround her, but then it disappeared. Shrugging, he used the first curse that came to mind. "Rictusempra!" he said, and watched as his spell bounced off Pansy's shield.

"Great, it worked," Pansy commented.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Incendio!" he said, and smirked as Pansy's hair caught fire.

"Draco!" Pansy shrieked. She hurriedly gushed water at her hair, with her wand. "You're unbelievable," she concluded, after inspecting the damage.

Draco shrugged innocently. He said "Protego!" and watched as the shield surrounded him.

"Tarantallega!" Pansy said venomously, but the curse just jumped off Draco's shield, and she had to duck so it won't hit her. "Tarantallega! Tarantallega! Furnunculus! Miniatusa! Damn it!" she screamed.

The second-to-lest curse had obviously broken the shield, and now Draco found himself on the floor, boils covering his entire body, freckles plotting his face.

"Oh, brilliant!" he said angrily, looking at himself through a mirror he conjured. "Now I look like a sick Weasley! You're dead, Parkinson. So dead. Stop smirking!" He glared at her hatefully.

~*~*~

With a few counter curses Draco managed to get rid of all the boils and most of the freckles. He was planing the painful death of Pansy Parkinson in his mind, while making his way to Care of Magical Creatures, with Crabb and Goyle.

The Gryfindors were already there. Draco glared at each and every one of them individually. When he got to the Weasel he remembered the freckles still adorning his face, and felt a blush burn his face. Just for that he glared at Weasley even fiercer.

Hagrid showed up with a large box.

"Come here, come her yeh!" he called them all. The students gathered around Hagrid and the box. The half-giant had a huge grin smeared on his face as he said exitedly, "Jus' got 'em this mornin', yeh're the first ones to see 'em!" This was accompanied by a collective silence. "Righ', then," he continued. "Wha' can yeh tell me 'bout Venefi-snakes?"

The Mudblood, Granger, immediately raised her hand. Is there anything she doesn't know? Hagrid gave her permission to speak and she started to recital what was surly a passage from an encyclopedia.

"Venefi-snakes is a comprehensive name for three species of snakes, the most well known is the Bargain Snake. All Venefi-snakes have some sort of magical ability. Their hide is a common ingredient in a lot of potions. Their poison can be used for healing, with the proper treatment, and is used to kill venomous tentacula when they spread. Their fangs are used for protection charms, though it's pretty hard to get one off a live Venefi, and almost impossible to kill these snakes. They are mostly found in the south of--"

That's when Draco stopped listening. He looked around at his classmates, most of who weren't listening themselves. Those who did listen were Gryffindors. Some of them actually seemed to be interested.

Potter didn't listen. He was staring at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Of course, they weren't interesting at all. Draco wondered briefly what was he thinking. Than he thought better of it, and turned to look back at Granger, who seemed to have finished speaking. Now it was Hagrid's turn to talk.

"Go ahead," he said. "Take one. They can' hurt yeh, they don' have poison. But they can still bite yeh pretty hard, so yeh be'er watch out fer that. Jus' don' let 'em bite yeh. There are scraeps an' bowls next ter the box, fer yeh ter scrape some o' their hide."

Somewhat reluctant, the students gathered around the box.

~*~*~

Harry peered into the box. There were about twenty large snakes seething inside. Beside him, Dean was already holding a snake. He was petting his snake as if it was a cat. Harry grabbed one as well, and looked at it. The snake looked back at him. For a minute they only stared at each other, than Harry came back to reality. He got a bowl and a scrape, and set down beside Ron and Hermione.

The Slytherins, even though it was their House's symbol, didn't seem to enjoy caring for a snake more than the Gryffindors did. Of course there were exceptions - Harry made a mental note not to go near Millicent bulstrode when she was holding a snake. Draco Malfoy was holding his snake as if it was something that he found stuck to his shoe. On the other hand, the snake didn't seem to like him either. Pansy Parkinson was looking very greenish, and shrieked every time her snake moved, not unlike Lavender Brown, who was now sitting, cross-lagged and cross-armed, while her snake crawled away from her. Neville was doing his best not to panic, though his arms were shaking pretty badly. One person who did surprise Harry was Parvati Patil - she looked calm, and was gently scraping her snake's hide. The snake sat at her lap, much like a kitten would.

Harry got back to his own snake that was scrambling in his grip. "Stay still," he ordered, and the snake immediately obaied. "Good snake." He grinned, and started scraping.

After about twenty minutes Harry had enough hide. He was talking to Ron, with the snake wrapped around his neck.

"And he made me wash the entire Great hall without using magic," Ron was telling him about his detention with Filch from the night before, which he earned for fighting with Malfoy in the halls. "The entire Great hall! Can you believe it? Just because the git can't do magic doesn't mean we shouldn't use it too."

"Well, that will teach you not to pick up fights with Malfoy," Hermione said.

"You know he deserved it, after what he said about my father." Ron's face was red with anger within seconds. "Punching him was almost worth that detention."

"Harry," Hermione said suddenly. "Where is your snake?"

Harry's brow furrowed, and he looked around. It didn't take long for him to find the snake - at that moment a scream was heard from Lavender's direction. He quickly turned around and spotted his snake crawling around Lavender's foot, while she was screeching, and shaking her lag fiercely.

"Take it off me! Take it off me!!!"

Harry ran to her side. "Stop it," he told the snake absently. The snake, of course, did. "Come here," he said. The snake crawled off Lavender, and instead wrapped around Harry. "Are you ok?" Harry asked the shaken Lavender, who nodded her head, though she was giving Harry a funny look.

He returned to Ron and Hermione, with his snake, whom he named Elliot earlier, hardly noticing that the entire class was staring at him.

"Do you have to do that?" Ron said, shaking his head, as Harry set beside him on the ground.

"Do what?" Harry asked absently.

"Speak Parseltongue. It's creepy."

"Oh," Harry said, looking at Lavender again. He hadn't realized. Sighing, he gave Elliot a half smile.

~*~*~

Draco was busy scraping his bloody snake - slimy little creature - when he noticed the commotion. And who if not Potter would be in the middle of it? That stupid sod, always has to be in the center of attention. And he is doing that Parselmouth thing again! Yes, now definitely all eyes are on him. If Draco could talk to snakes he wouldn't be showing it off like that. To be quite honest he probably would - he smiled to himself, imagining. But that's because he's a Slytherin, of course. Gryffindors shouldn't be talking to snakes; they should be talking to lions or something. Who wants to talk to snakes anyway?

He was glaring at Potter for the rest of the class.

~*~*~

Cornelius Fudge was a very busy man. He was currently busy yelling at three different people for five different reasons.

"Ashford," he said. "I want to see a report on that Erkling incident immediately! I want to know how it got here, and if there are more around."

"Y-yes, Minister," said Ashford, hurrying away.

"Now, Stanwood, I told you already five times, that I refuse to declare anything!" The woman seemed to want to say something, but Fudge continued to talk. "You should go back to your superior and remind him that I'm doing him a big favour as it is.

"Herman, my office. Now." Fudge was very angry.

She sent a sympathetic smile to the reporter that was still standing beside her, and followed the Minister into his office.

Natasha Herman was the head of the team of Aurors in charge of dealing with the recent Mysterious Happenings, as they were called. She took a seat without an invitation, and was ready to enjoy the show. Fudge was usually very angry.

He was clutching in his hand a pack of parchments, and waving them in the air, while pacing in front of the desk.

"Can you..." he said, practicaly livid, "explain to me... this?" He threw the parchments at the table in front of her.

Herman calmly took the sheets and scanned them.

"I believe," she said. "That these are reports of my team's missions. Sir."

"Yes," Fudge said. "I know they are reports, but what do they say?"

"Well, there's been obvious use of the Killing Curse, the Dark Mark had appeared in the sky numerous times, Muggles and Muggle-borns are disappearing, or found dead, the indisputable conclusion--"

"You-Know-Who is not back!!" Fudge cut her off, before she even finished her sentence. "He's been dead for fourteen years, and dead people don't just come back to life."

"Yes, I know that, sir, but what other explanation do you have?"

"Those are just some kids; kids playing. We'll catch them, then you'll see it's just kids."

"And what Harry Potter--"

"He's lying! He's been lying for years! He'll say anything to get in the Daily Prophet, and Dumbledore will believe anything he says."

"Right, is that all?"

"You may leave. Shut the door behind you, and from now on I want better reports!" he said, taking back the reports.

"Jolly good, then. Have a nice one, sir."

"Leave," he said flatly.

As she left his office, Herman heard Fudge mutter to himself.

"You Know Who is not back. They'll see he's not back."

That went well, she thought.

~*~*~

He was back in that dungeon, the one he was put in when kidnapped. A Death Eater he didn't know was leaning towards him, and Harry didn't know what he was doing until he felt a sharp pain go through him. The Death Eater had slashed his stomach, and there was blood everywhere. He fell down to his knees, the Death Eater was nowhere to be seen. Harry touched his hand to the cut, and stared at his own blood, with blurry vision.

"I think it's poisoned," someone whispered.

Harry woke up in his bed in Gryffindor tower, and it took him a few minutes to stop shaking. This dream was familiar - it was what he had seen that night with Malfoy. This time there were even more details, but they were all escaping him when he tried remembering them.

~*~*~

Harry decided that it was a good time to take his Invisibility cloak for a round. Usually when he did that he found out, some way or another, something that will help him, and right now he was desperate for some answers. So he'll just walk around, after hours, and the answers were bound to fall out of the sky, really. A very simple plan.

It wasn't that Harry was never under a death threat - quite the opposite. It was just that this was the first time that he got to think about it, and he realized that he didn't want to die just now; there was still a lot of life ahead of him. There were a lot of times in the past when he looked death right in the face, and was prepared to die. He didn't know what he would think if right now a Basilisk would jump on him, but on the whole, there were still a few things that he wanted to do before he was gone. Like, for example, reach the age of sixteen.

He heard footsteps coming from the direction he was heading, and hurridly hid behind a suit of armour, even though he was under the cover of invisibility. Not long after, a figure appeared from around the corner. Harry couldn't stifle the gasp of shock, and relief, when he saw Professor Dumbledore walking his way, wearing a night gown with a matching hat, holding in his hands what seemed to be a large sandwich.

Dumbledore stopped in his tracks, and looked directly at the point where Harry was standing. Harry stopped himself before he could swear out loud, and hoped the Headmaster will go away.

"Good evening, Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes holding their usual twinkle.

Harry slowly pulled off his cloak, and grinned sheepishly at his headmaster.

"Fancy meeting you at this strange hour of the night," he continued. Harry nodded his head slowly. "I was just at the kitchens, getting myself a little midnight snack. I suspect you were up to that same thing." His eyes twinkled as he smiled.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I was just hungry."

"Strange how hunger can attack you in the middle of the night, without any warning, isn't it?"

Harry nodded again.

"How about you'll accompany me to my office?" Dumbledore said, turning around, and resumed his walking.

"Right," said Harry quietly, following his headmaster.

~*~*~

When the pair reached the Headmaster's office, Harry was offered some chocolate, which he was now nibbling on. He was feeling much better than he did when he woke up. Now he was debating if he should tell Professor Dumbledore about what woke him. Of course he should tell him, but he didn't know if he wanted to.

"Professor?" he said hesitantly.

Dumbledore looked at him, but didn't say anything.

Harry swallowed what was left of his chocolate. He bit his lip nervously.

"On Christmas," he started, "Malfoy and I... we were talking. And I had a... vision, or something, all of a sudden."

When Dumbledore didn't say anything, he continued, "I... can't remember what it was, but I think it's about Voldemort."

Dumbledore nodded. "I see," he said. "You two weren't drinking that Odgen's Old Firewhisky that Draco's father sent him for Christmas, were you?" he asked, a tiny smile playing on his lips.

"Er... We... I...."

"Strong drinks make your mind more, how shall I say, loosened. And the link between Voldemort and yourself is stronger when you have less control over your mind, like when you are dreaming. It is possible that it caused this vision you had."

Harry thought about this for a moment, and he reached one conclusion - Malfoy. Malfoy did it on purpose. He's the one who got Harry smashed, so Voldemort could send him strange messages. That slimy git. He would pay.

Something pulled Harry back form his thoughts. He stared at Dumbledore, who was staring back at him. Apparently he said something, and was waiting for Harry to answer.

"Pardon?" Harry said.

"I said that you should go back to bed. It is almost morning."

"Oh. Right, of course, Professor."

Professor Dumbledore looked hesitant for a split second. "Harry," he said, as Harry was getting to his feet. "I know you have been worried about Voldemort lately. You shouldn't worry. I can assure you that he won't do anything big anytime soon. I can't tell you why just now," he added, raising his hand to stop Harry from speaking. "Trust me, Harry, you will know everything, when the time is right. For now, just enjoy yourself."

Harry nodded, and left the office. Leaving behind him a weary Dumbledore.

~*~*~

Voldemort was very angry, and everyone will suffer the consequences. He turned to the Death Eater in front of him.

"Nott," he whispered maliciously.

"M-my lord?" Nott said, down on his knees.

"You have disappointed me, Nott."

"I--"

"You won't do it again. Ever. Crucio!"

Nott's screams filled the chamber, as he was twitching on the floor.

Very far away, Harry Potter woke up for the second time that night, his scar burning.